PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – A shelter hearing was held Wednesday afternoon for four sisters whose mother was killed and whose father took his life Tuesday in front of police outside their Pembroke Pines home.
A Broward County judge ordered that the girls remain in the custody of their paternal grandparents until at least the next hearing on Friday.
According to Pembroke Pines police, officers were called to a home in the area of Northwest 76th Avenue and Sixth Street just after 9 a.m. Tuesday after someone called the police department and said the children who live at the home hadn't attended school for a week.
Police said officers found the homeowner, Byron Flores, outside his house, and he appeared to be impaired.
According to police, Flores said he was going through hard times because his wife had left him.
Authorities said Flores was asked by officers whether he was drunk or on drugs, to which he replied, "Yes."
"At that time, the officers were concerned for their safety and asked the individual to please turn around as they were going to check him to make sure that he didn't have any weapons on him," Pembroke Pines police Capt. Al Xiques said.
That's when Flores pulled out a gun and fatally shot himself, Xiques said.
Four girls under the age of 10 were found in the home, but all showed no signs of physical injuries. The youngest was 3 years old.
The body of a woman, later discovered to be Flores' wife, Stephanie Flores, was found in a rear bedroom. It appeared that she had been dead for several days, Xiques said.
Police did not disclose her cause of death.
Neighbors told Local 10 News they heard popping sounds Wednesday or Thursday that may have been gunshots. They said they never had any issues with their neighbors, whose daughters were often seen playing outside.
A GoFundMe page was created Thursday to raise funds to help take care of the four sisters.