Investigators said the woman had gone to a northeast Miami-Dade apartment to retrieve personal belongings before the fatal encounter.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Authorities have identified the two people who died Wednesday night in a domestic shooting at a northeast Miami-Dade apartment, where investigators said a man shot a woman who had arrived to collect personal items and then died by suicide.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office identified the woman as 57-year-old Denis Del Carmen Polo Fuentes and the man as 64-year-old Franky Paba. Deputies were called to the 17000 block of Northeast 14th Avenue at about 7:03 p.m. Oct. 28 and found both with apparent gunshot wounds, according to the sheriff’s office. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue pronounced them dead at the scene.
Investigators said Polo Fuentes went to the residence to pick up her belongings. Paba let her inside and then produced a firearm and shot her, according to the sheriff’s office. Investigators said Paba then used the firearm on himself. Authorities have classified the case as a domestic incident and said the Homicide Bureau is continuing its investigation.
The shooting occurred in the Mar-Len Gardens community in northeast Miami-Dade. Deputies and fire rescue crews responded shortly after 7 p.m., and the deaths prompted a homicide investigation even though authorities said their preliminary findings pointed to a murder-suicide.
The sheriff’s office initially withheld the identities while investigators worked to notify relatives and determine the relationship between the two people. An update released Thursday identified Polo Fuentes as the victim and Paba as the subject in the investigation.
A relative told Local 10 News that Paba and Polo Fuentes were married and had separated. The sheriff’s office had previously said the shooting was domestic in nature while investigators worked to confirm the exact familial relationship. Authorities have not publicly released additional details about what led up to the encounter or how long the couple had been separated.
The official account centers on Polo Fuentes’ visit to retrieve personal property. Investigators have not announced evidence of a broader threat to residents in the apartment community, and no additional suspects have been identified in the case.
Neighbor Marcos Mustafa told Local 10 News that people in the community were left trying to understand what had happened. Authorities have not released a motive beyond describing the shooting as domestic, and investigators have not disclosed whether deputies had previously been called to the residence.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said the death investigation remains active. No further findings about the circumstances surrounding the shooting had been announced as of Thursday afternoon.
Author note: Last updated October 29, 2026.