FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A woman is behind bars after a man was killed in his apartment Wednesday morning in the 1300 block of Northwest 2nd Avenue in Fort Lauderdale.
Investigators say a neighbor called 911 around 8:30 a.m. and that officers arrived to find a man shot dead inside.
Police say the suspected shooter is a woman who took off in the victim’s car and briefly barricaded herself in the car near 31st Avenue and 19th Street before surrendering.
Authorities identified her as Juanita Sawyer, 41, a resident of Fort Lauderdale. The victim’s family said Sawyer is the victim’s girlfriend’s niece and would frequently visit the couple at that apartment.
“Our SWAT team and our hostage negotiations team were called to the scene, and after a brief confrontation with the suspect, she did immediately surrender without any further problems,” said spokeswoman Casey Liening of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. “We’re still working to determine the exact circumstances. We don’t know what led up to the shooting, but we believe she is responsible for shooting the victim.”