By Cristóbal Reyes
Orlando Sentinel
EUSTIS, Fla. — Insisting they were inspired by God, the matriarch of the family that killed a Lake County deputy first sought to lure neighbors she claimed were pedophiles into her Eustis home to kill them. She was arrested and taken away.
But when deputies entered the woman’s home last Friday night, her husband and daughters ambushed them, then killed themselves after a bloody shootout authorities are still trying to untangle.
The latest details of what happened before and during the shootout that killed 28-year-old Deputy Bradley Michael Link and injured two other deputies were delivered Monday afternoon by a tearful Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell, as he also announced the arrest of Julie Ann Sulpizio, 48, for first-degree murder.
The shootings came at the hands of Julie Ann Sulpizio’s husband Michael Sulpizio, 49, and her daughters Cheyenne, 23, and Savannah, 22. Grinnell said much of the incident was captured on Link’s body-worn camera. The footage has not been released.
A neighbor first called deputies around 7:45 p.m. Friday, saying Julie Ann Sulpizio, 48, was roaming the neighborhood and accosting people.
“Michael, Gabriel, Timothy: it’s time now to protect my children,” Julie Ann Sulpizio said as she was handcuffed outside her home, according to Grinnell, in an apparent reference to guardian angels. She was later admitted into the hospital under the Baker Act.
Later, Lake County deputies entered the Sulpizios’ home where they had found two dead dogs in the front yard. As they went through the door, the trio ambushed them, shooting Link multiple times and trapping him in the house. Other deputies retreated, and awaited backup.
In the video, Grinnell said, one of the daughters was heard saying, “My king will kill all of you.” At 9:26 p.m., SWAT deputies arrived to rescue Link. But two deputies — Master Deputy Harold Howell and Deputy 1st Class Stefano Gargano — were shot during the operation, with Gargano being struck by gunfire multiple times as he led the team into the building.
Link’s camera continued to record as the situation unfolded. In the hours following the first confrontation with the deputies, a woman can be heard contemplating suicide, according to Grinnell. By 11:02 p.m., two gunshots can be heard in quick succession, followed by a third shortly after.
Cheyenne and Savannah Sulpizio were later found dead by suicide along with their father Michael, who died at a hospital, Grinnell said.
Gargano, who was in critical condition over the weekend, was declared stable after a series of surgeries, Lt. John Herrell told reporters on Monday. Howell, who was shot in the the shoulder, will make a full recovery.
Detective Josh Mercer, who interviewed Julie Ann Sulpizio, said in the press conference she appeared to be pleased with what happened.
“She was joyful,” Mercer said. “There was no remorse.”
Investigators found a stockpile of weapons and other supplies inside the Sulpizios’ home, along with “anti-government propaganda and and conspiracy theory-related media,” Grinnell said.
Whether the Sulpizios were tied to extremist groups is under investigation.
“There were bumper stickers, handouts, flyers for things like Infowars, various podcasts,” said Mercer, referring to the far-right media outlet run by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. “We’re still going through a lot of evidence at this time.”
News of Gargano’s condition brought a sigh of relief in the room during Monday’s press conference, as it was unclear whether he would survive. Grinnell commended him, Howell and the other deputies for their courage in the effort to rescue Link.
“They took action right away and for something bigger than them,” Grinnell said. Lake County State Attorney Bill Gladson, who stood with Grinnell, said what the deputies did was “nothing short of heroism.”
“They are absolute heroes, and enough can’t be said about how they saved lives that night,” he added.
Grinnell told reporters there were no reported warning signs that something like Friday’s shooting would happen. The only other calls to the home were related to animal enforcement, and there were no reports of violence.
An Orlando Sentinel review of the family’s criminal history yielded nothing, except for Michael Sulpizio’s 1994 conviction for theft, for which he served probation.
The Sulpizios, however, mostly kept to themselves, according to investigators. Daughters Cheyenne and Savannah were pulled out of public school as early teens and homeschooled to shield them from outside influence. Other relatives, whom detectives have contacted, were also estranged.
“For the most part, Julie and Michael have been pretty much cut off from their family, by their own choice,” Mercer said.
As for Sheriff’s Office employees, Grinnell said mental health workers from the University of Central Florida have been working to help them process the shooting.
Earlier on Monday, a procession escorted Link’s body from Lake County to a funeral home in Clermont, along with his family. A GoFundMe page created for Link’s family has raised nearly $116,000.
Link’s funeral is scheduled to take place Saturday at Real Life Church in Clermont. No plans have been made for the public to attend.
“When I tell you this agency is hurting, we’re hurting, but we’re going to get through this,” Grinnell said. “It takes more than just us — it takes our community, and our community is doing that. I’m so thankful.”
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