Dad & daughters found dead after mom Julie Sulpizio ‘killed cop in trap set for neighbors she claimed were pedophiles’

A SHERIFF’s deputy is dead, along with a father and two adult children, after the family allegedly set a deadly trap for their neighbors that ended with a harrowing shootout with police.

The mother, Julie Ann Sulpizio, has been arrested after police say she orchestrated the ambush in her Florida home that also injured two other officers.

Lake County Jail

WOFL

The Lake County Sheriff's Office

AP

Sulpizio, 48, faces 12 charges in total, including premeditated murder of a law enforcement officer and multiple counts of attempted murder, according to State Attorney Bill Gladson.

Master Deputy Sheriff Bradley Link, 28, was killed in the ambush on August 2. Two other deputies were injured.

Link and another officer initially responded to a 911 call for help on Friday evening when Sulpizio’s neighbors reported that she was assaulting them, Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell said at a press conference on Monday.

“The complainant stated she was acting religious, accusing them of being sinners, and she knows ‘what they did,'” Grinnell said.

“They identified Julie Sulpizio as their neighbor, but Julie states that she is ‘Helen, under God’s will.'”

When cops arrived to separate the fight, Sulpizio told officers that her neighbors were pedophiles, Grinnell said.

Grinnell said that Sulpizio told the group, “Julie is in heaven.”

After a third officer arrived, Sulpizio was handcuffed and taken into custody.

The cops then decided to conduct a welfare check at Sulpizio’s house nearby after she reportedly used religious references to try to lure them there, Grinnell said.

When the three officers arrived at the home in Eustis, which is about 40 miles from Orlando , they found two dead dogs on the property and an open window with the screen kicked out, leading them to call for backup.

They entered the home and Link’s body camera reportedly captured a man who appeared to be wearing body armor sitting with a rifle on a couch, Grinnell said.

The officers were met with heavy gunfire by Sulpizio’s husband, Michael Sulpizio, and their two daughters, Cheyenne, 22, and Savannah, 23.

This was nothing short of an ambush. The evidence will show that.”

Bill Gladson state attorney for Florida's Fifth Judicial Circuit

Link, who had his back turned, was ambushed and shot in the back by Michael, who was “armed and ready,” according to the sheriff.

The deputy’s body camera footage showed that he was shot several more times as he attempted to crawl away after running out of bullets, Grinnell said.

Timeline of ambush

The ambush on August 2 left one sheriff's deputy dead, along with three suspects in the shooting.

7:45 pm – Officers responded to reports of Julie Sulpizio assaulting her neighbors.

8 pm – Deputy arrives and makes contact with Sulpizio.

8:10 pm – Sulpizio is handcuffed as another officer arrives. The two cops go to her house to perform a wellness check on her husband and two adult daughters.

9:03 pm – Police enter Sulpizio’s home and are met with gunfire.

9:05 pm – The first call for help from deputies comes in after Link was struck with gunfire and the other officers were forced to retreat.

9:24 pm – Deputy Harold Howell goes to the hospital after he was shot in the arm. Deputies try to negotiate Link’s release and daughter yells, “My king will kill all of you! You are Lucifer’s children!”

9:26 pm – More officers, including Deputy Stefano Gargano, arrive on scene and create a plan to rescue Link. Deputies move into the house.

9:35 pm – Gargano is transported to the hospital with gunshot wounds to his abdomen and arms.

11:02 pm – Two gunshots are heard in quick succession and another one moments later before Michael, Cheyenne, and Savannah Sulpizio were found dead of self-inflicted gunshot wounds

The two other officers retreated and tried to negotiate for Link’s release, but the family refused.

Grinnell said that on the body camera footage, one of the daughters was heard shouting, “My King will kill all of you! You are Lucifer’s children!”

The video revealed that Michael and his two adopted daughters discussed suicide before they were found dead in the home with apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds to their heads.

A search of the home after the ambush revealed a stockpile of more than 20 guns, ammunition, body armor, gas masks, ready-to-eat meals, bottled water, and anti-government propaganda, Grinnell said.

AP

WESH-TV

AP

LCSO said the family had no cellphones or TV.

“This was nothing short of an ambush. The evidence will show that,” Gladson said.

The sheriff said that in a later interview, Sulpizio admitted that she was originally trying to lure her neighbors into the home so that Michael could kill them.

However, the attempted trap for her neighbors was interrupted by the officers.

“She was not successful because of our deputies,” the sheriff said.

One of the officers, Master Deputy Sheriff Harold Howell, was struck in the arm and is expected to make a full recovery.

Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano, the other officer injured in the shooting, is stable and in critical condition after undergoing a third surgery this weekend, Grinnell said.

Grinnell said Sulpizio appeared to show no remorse and was described to be “joyful” at news of the attack.

After spending the weekend in the hospital, she was arrested on Monday with Deputy Link’s handcuffs.

Sulpizio remains in the Lake County Jail after her first court appearance on Tuesday. Her arraignment is scheduled for September 3.

LCSO has told The U.S. Sun that footage of the ambush will be provided once its made available.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org , or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.

WOFL

WOFL

The Lake County Sheriff's Office

WOFL