PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (WSVN) \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI could be dead. He could have just turned on me in a second,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u201d in this case was 62-year old Paul Maraio, according to Port St. Lucie Police.<\/p>\n
Rothermel said the perpetrator was her neighbor.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said, \u2018Quick, close the door, the garage door.\u2019 I thought something bad happened outside. I found out something really bad did happen,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Just seconds later, Maraio would barricade them both inside Rothermel\u2019s home for about an hour.<\/p>\n
Rothermel said the home invader told her he had been evicted and shot two of their neighbors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought maybe an accident somewhere, and I never guessed it was him shooting somebody until he told me that he shot them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Rothermel watched as he ate her food and drank a beer, as she began to lose all hope.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just figured, if he\u2019s going to kill me, what can I do? I can\u2019t run out, \u2019cause he\u2019ll shoot me anyway,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Instead, she said, Maraio let her go, and he let her dog Penny go, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe 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, \u2018Don\u2019t shoot her,’\u201d said Rothermel.<\/p>\n
Officials then tried to get Maraio to surrender, but they said he turned the gun on himself. He later died at the hospital.<\/p>\n
Investigators were thankful it wasn\u2019t too late for Rothermel and her pet.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was my saving grace. Ever since my husband died and I got her, that\u2019s my Penny,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Rothermel is staying with her sister while she recovers.<\/p>\n
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