Miami-Dade police are investigating a murder-suicide that killed a family of four, officials announced Monday.
According to a news release, officers arrived at an apartment at 17400 NW 68th Ave. shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday to do a welfare check on the family.
When cops arrived, they noticed a “distinct foul odor emitting from the apartment,” according to investigators.
Police stated a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue unit was dispatched to the apartment and assisted officers in entering.
According to authorities, cops entered the house and discovered four persons dead inside with apparent gunshot wounds.
According to police, the 60-year-old father appears to have shot his 50-year-old girlfriend, his 18-year-old son, and his 13-year-old daughter before killing himself.
Victor Penalba was identified as the father by relatives, and Yumara Martinez as the mother. They claimed the couple had been together for 20 years, on and off, but were not officially married.
Their children were identified as Jason and Stephanie Penalba.
An uncle told Local 10 News reporter Alex Finnie that the family had been deceased for two weeks before being checked on.
“We are shocked,” said Juan Rodriguez, a family member. “We don’t understand how nobody heard the four gunshots, nobody heard or smelled anything until yesterday.”
According to Rodriguez, family members were frightened for Martinez’s and the children’s safety.
“He snapped, this guy was super jealous,” that’s what he stated. “Super dominant. I wanted to have control over everything. “His children feared him.”
Rodriguez stated that the couple had been together for more than 20 years, on and off. He stated that Victor Penalba worked for the Hialeah sanitation department until being laid off a few weeks ago.
“Who would’ve thought this guy was capable of killing his children, killing himself, killing my sister,” he went on to say. “I don’t understand this.”
Police say the inquiry is still ongoing.