PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — New details about the Port St. Lucie man who police say murdered two of his neighbors Monday and took another one hostage in her home at gunpoint.
By all accounts, things between the suspect and the victims were tense and police were aware of the growing danger.
Port St. Lucie Police have released incident reports from three previous cases involving Paul Maraio, the guy who went on a shooting spree Monday in his community, killing the treasurer of the HOA and the husband of the HOA secretary.
Maraio died at a hospital of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.
Suzanne Rothermel, resident who was held at gunpoint by Maraio. (CBS12 News)
“I thought I was going to die. I really thought I was going to die,” said Suzanne Rothermel, a resident of Tropical East.
For two hours Monday, police say Maraio, 62, held his neighbor Suzanne Rothermel at gunpoint.
“He ran in through the garage. He did threaten me with the gun. He put it to my head. I asked him to put the gun down, but no, he wouldn’t do it. he had two guns,” Rothermel said.
She says neighbors were afraid of him, long before he took her hostage and killed two others in the community. There were signs.
“Because I knew he had a gun and I knew that he had mental problems. He just acted strange,” Rothermel said.
Port St. Lucie Police say starting in June 2024, they responded to the home of one of the victims, Mark Golden, three times because he said Maraio was harassing him and made verbal threats and Golden was afraid.
In one case, in September 2025, Maraio was using binoculars to look into Golden’s home.
According to a police report, in another case last March, Maraio was in Golden’s backyard, and Maraio made a gesture as if he were slitting someone’s throat.
In June 2024, Maraio showed up to talk with Golden about differences in their political views.
Twice, Port St. Lucie Police gave Maraio a trespass warning, meaning he could be arrested if he showed up at Golden’s house again but Maraio was never arrested.
“Nothing ever brought him to the point where he was considered an imminent threat to anybody,” said Leo Niemczyk, Port St. Lucie Police Chief.
Finally, in October the HOA sent Maraio an eviction letter, saying enough was enough, and Maraio had to be out of the Tropical East neighborhood by December 14. That, according to police, drove him to violence.
Suzanne Rothermel has this advice for others who may have a threatening person living in their midst.
“If there is someone in your community who is acting like this, take action. Don’t let it go, because this is what the results will be,” Rothermel said.
Police tried to negotiate with Maraio but he turned the gun on himself. Rothermel says she feels lucky to be alive. She didn’t think he was going to let her go.