On May 2, 2023, at approximately 5:00 AM, 38-year-old Al Stenson, the mother's paramour, fatally shot 40-year-old Marlene Pizzaro and her three children — Kianis Castillo-Pizzaro (age 11), Ariana Segarra-Pizzaro (age 17), and Darian Hernandez-Pizzaro (age 21) — at their apartment at Sunrise Apartments in Lake Wales, Florida. The suspected motive was that Stenson believed the mother was having an affair. The victims were not discovered until approximately 16 hours later when law enforcement responded to a medical call. Stenson fled to Sanford, Florida, where he was located at a motel the following morning. After a SWAT standoff during which he expressed intent to kill himself or force police to kill him, Stenson was shot and killed by law enforcement officers.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
The fatality report states: "the mother's paramour became upset with the mother and was armed with a firearm. The paramour used the firearm on the mother and her three children. All four of them passed away from gunshot wounds." The news article corroborates: "38-year-old Al Stenson of Lake Wales shot and killed his 40-year-old girlfriend and her three children."
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The fatality report states: "The paramour used the firearm on the mother and her three children. All four of them passed away from gunshot wounds." The children sustained fatal gunshot wounds inflicted by the mother's paramour.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
The perpetrator killed four family members and then fled. The news article states: "The 38-year-old reportedly made statements that he would kill himself or force law enforcement to kill him." During a subsequent standoff, he reached for a gun and was killed by SWAT team members. While he did not literally commit suicide, his expressed intent to die and his provocative actions toward armed law enforcement strongly suggest a "suicide by cop" scenario, making this effectively a murder-suicide.
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
The fatality report identifies the perpetrator as Al Stenson, 38 years old, listed as "Paramour" in the family composition chart. The report states: "the mother's paramour became upset with the mother and was armed with a firearm. The paramour used the firearm on the mother and her three children." The news article describes him as the mother's boyfriend: "38-year-old Al Stenson of Lake Wales shot and killed his 40-year-old girlfriend and her three children."
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The fatality report states: "An arrest warrant was issued for the paramour on four counts of First-Degree Murder." While the paramour was killed before being physically arrested, charges were filed and an arrest warrant was formally issued.
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report states: "It is suspected he believed the mother was having an affair," establishing a jealousy motive. The paramour shot and killed his intimate partner (the mother) and her three children. This is a quintessential act of intimate partner domestic violence. The news article further identifies Marlene Pizarro as the paramour's "40-year-old girlfriend."
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the text that are not fully addressed by the preceding questions. The fatality report states the victims "were not found until approximately 16 hours later by Law Enforcement," indicating a significant delay between the murders (around 5:00 AM) and discovery (around 9:00 PM). This was a quadruple homicide in which the perpetrator killed every member of the household. The news article reports the family's brother, Julian Ramos, stated the family wanted to bring the four victims back to "Juncos, Puerto Rico where Marlene's father is buried." Additionally, the perpetrator was ultimately killed via what appears to be a "suicide by cop" scenario involving five law enforcement agencies, SWAT teams, and the use of less-lethal munitions before lethal force.
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