Elderly Port St. Lucie woman held hostage by man accused of killing 2 neighbors shares ordeal – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (WSVN) — An elderly Port St. Lucie woman is speaking out and sharing her story after her safe space was invaded by an armed intruder who ended up holding her hostage, and she said the suspect was no stranger.

Seeventy-seven-year-old Suzanne Rothermel said she was held hostage in her home in the Tropical East community for what felt like hours on Monday.

“I could be dead. He could have just turned on me in a second,” she said.

“He” in this case was 62-year old Paul Maraio, according to Port St. Lucie Police.

Rothermel said the perpetrator was her neighbor.

“He said, ‘Quick, close the door, the garage door.’ I thought something bad happened outside. I found out something really bad did happen,” she said.

Just seconds later, Maraio would barricade them both inside Rothermel’s home for about an hour.

Rothermel said the home invader told her he had been evicted and shot two of their neighbors.

“I thought maybe an accident somewhere, and I never guessed it was him shooting somebody until he told me that he shot them,” she said.

Rothermel watched as he ate her food and drank a beer, as she began to lose all hope.

“I just figured, if he’s going to kill me, what can I do? I can’t run out, ’cause he’ll shoot me anyway,” she said.

Instead, she said, Maraio let her go, and he let her dog Penny go, too.

“He could have shot me then, but I just wanted to get out, so Penny and I cut out the door, and he said to them, ‘Don’t shoot her,’” said Rothermel.

Officials then tried to get Maraio to surrender, but they said he turned the gun on himself. He later died at the hospital.

Investigators were thankful it wasn’t too late for Rothermel and her pet.

“She was my saving grace. Ever since my husband died and I got her, that’s my Penny,” she said.

Rothermel is staying with her sister while she recovers.

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