PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — An ongoing dispute with an HOA appears to have been the catalyst for a double homicide and hostage situation in a Port St. Lucie neighborhood.
The Port St. Lucie Police Department said on Wednesday, there were documented disturbances between the double homicide suspect, Paul Maraio, and the victim, Mark Golden, 54, who served as treasurer for the Tropical East HOA. The second victim, David Gasik, 75, was not an HOA board member, but police say his surviving wife served as the board’s secretary.
PSLPD says Golden and other HOA board members had retained legal representation and were in the process of evicting 62-year-old Paul Maraio from his home. Investigators say Maraio had been ordered to vacate the property by December 14, 2025.
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This update comes after the police department released the names of the deceased victims on Wednesday.
Police say the violence began around 3:15 p.m. Monday when Maraio allegedly shot Golden and Gasik in separate homes near SE Tropical Circle. After the shootings, Maraio entered a third residence and held a 77-year-old woman hostage. She was released unharmed after more than two hours of negotiations involving SWAT teams, drones, and crisis negotiators.
Maraio later barricaded himself and told officers he had shot himself. Drone footage confirmed the injury, and SWAT officers entered to find him critically wounded. He was transported to a hospital but died just before 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.
PSLPD Police Chief Niemczyk will hold a news conference on Thursday at 9 a.m.
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