Daughter Leads Police To Her Father's Deadly Murder Rampage | Forensic Files

ST. CLOUD POLICE DEPARTMENT. MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN. HOLD ON. Let me fix the next one.
>> Florida SWAT are in the middle of a multi-hour rescue operation after a deranged father just shot his wife in
front of their own children. >> Go. My son. That's her daughter. >> We're going to make sure we GET
EVERYBODY RIGHT NOW. >> GO. You're got a rifle. Okay. >> As far back as you can go. In the middle
of this chaos, police are racing against the clock to save the wounded mother trapped inside, leaving them with no
choice but to get creative. Even if it means using the shooter's own children to bring the standoff to an end.
>> He already said he's not coming out until you guys kill him. >> Oh yeah, he's in the He saw the drone.
Fall back. I don't want to die. It's approximately 6:00 p.m. on a Saturday evening in an upper class
lakefront neighborhood in St. Cloud, Florida. Inside one of the homes, a heated argument erupts between
48-year-old Jose and his wife Lzvette. One that's about to completely spiral out of control.
>> 911. What's the address of the emergency? >> I think I died to someone. >> My dad is upstairs with the gun. I don't
know. He went back to the room. >> Where is your mom? >> He just shot her. >> No, he shot her. He just shot her in the
my bathroom. >> How many shots are fired? >> After the call disconnects, the St.
Cloud Police Department rushes to respond, immediately dispatching 20 patrol cars to the scene. From what
officers can gather, two siblings just watched their father shoot their mother, and they could be his next victims. The
first to arrive is rookie officer Garnesh with only 6 months of experience. And as he steps out of his
car, he's walking straight into the line of fire. >> Go inside. Get inside your house.
Get out of the way. Gash, hold there. Have the 1027 and the neighbor step out and come immediately north.
>> All the way at the corner on the left is going to be the target residence. 1027
is one house to the north, one house towards us. Officer Garnesh and his partner are positioned roughly 70 ft
away from the active shooter's house, waiting for backup. Moments later, additional units arrive along with K9
quickly surrounding the home from both the east and west. Leading the operation is Sergeant Patrick Manx. With nearly a
decade in law enforcement and awards, including hero of the year, he's earned a reputation for doing whatever it takes
to protect innocent lives. So knowing a civilian hostage may be critically wounded inside, Manx understands the
clock is working against him. So he quickly devises an extremely bold strategy, completely unaware of the
danger he's about to send his men directly into. The sergeant's plan is straightforward,
but far from simple. rush in, take the active shooter by surprise, and get the two children and their wounded mother
out, all while ensuring no civilians or officers are injured. But as Manx and his team approach the house, the shooter
inside has a plan of his own. One that doesn't involve surrender, but instead drawing officers into a deadly ambush.
>> Okay, let's move. This house should be the same. >> Nice house. >> ST. CLOUD POLICE DEPARTMENT. TAKE
YOURSELF DOWN. >> HOLD ON. I think it's the next one. >> Pull back. >> Can you make sure I don't have any blood
on me anywhere? Cuz he's shot at me. I didn't feel anything, but All right. The shooter fires, but the round strikes
the door instead, miraculously missing Sergeant Manx by less than an inch. But as Manx and his men retreat to cover, a
critical problem remains. Officers have yet to secure the south side of the property, which leads directly into a
nearby park. However, rushing over there now would expose them to gunfire from the numerous windows surrounding the
home. So faced with this reality check, Manx is forced to rethink the strategy from the ground up.
With tension rising by the second, SWAT finally arrives on scene along with a sniper and a drone operator, giving Manx
his best [music] chance yet to contain the shooter. And as fate would have it, the most dangerous assignment, securing
the back of the house, falls to Officer Garnes. So, with a wounded mother and two children still trapped inside, this
rookie officer is about to face the most dangerous moment of his career. >> SOMEONE GO TO THE BACK. GO TO THE BACK.
Take two. Come on. Roll. >> Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. >> Go. >> [snorts]
>> Backyard's fence off. >> There's a fence back here. Just make sure I got him up there.
>> It's f back here. >> That's me. >> 51 resident 2760. This is the St. Cloud Police Department.
Come out with your hands up. >> I'm going to duck down here and cover the top. I don't I don't like standing
right here. >> This is a safe cloud police department. >> Yeah. >> Come out with your hands up.
>> You just hold low like that. >> As officer Garnesh continues issuing commands, SWAT has now surrounded the
house from all directions. While a sniper maintains visual on the front entrance and for the first time since
the standoff began, police finally have gained the upper hand. With the standoff
closing in on the 1 hour mark, one officer decides it's time to deploy a drone, hoping to locate both the shooter
and the wounded victim inside. But what seems like a smart tactical move is about to escalate the standoff even
further. I'm getting ready to put the drone up. >> Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come
on. >> Do you see him? >> Oh, yeah. He's in the hole. He shot the drone. He shot the drone.
He's all the way down the hallway with a light going [music] on his on a rifle. It looks like a
rifle. Don't worry about it. >> But you can see through the front door. >> Yeah.
>> See him? >> Yeah. >> Despite successfully locating the shooter, the drone is shot down, making
the suspect even more agitated. But even more concerning, there has still been no
update on the two children inside or their injured mother until now. Suddenly, officers notice movement and
within seconds, the entire scene descends into chaos. >> We're sending people from the house just
north down the street towards you, LT. >> LT, they're sending people our way. >> Don't let anybody leave.
>> Get him. Get him. Get him. Go, go, go, go, go, go. >> Right here. Over here. Come on.
>> Stay right here, buddy. Stay right there. >> Go. >> We're going to make sure we get
everybody. >> Go, go. >> Get behind the cars. Get behind the engine. >> Come on.
>> I don't want to die. >> You're not going to. Same with me. Stay behind this. >> You're He's got a rifle. Okay.
>> Hang on a rifle. >> As far back as you can go, please. to stay behind vehicles.
>> Stop it. >> Amid the chaos, officers successfully evacuate the captive children and nearby
families, rushing them behind cover several houses away. A 10-year-old boy and his 24year-old sister tell officers
that the shooter inside is their father, Joseé Fontanz, and the woman who was shot is their mother, Lvette Figureroa.
And despite being terrified and shaken, both children are still willing to help.
unaware they're about to become the key to the entire operation. With time quickly running out for the
children's mother, Sergeant Manx shifts his focus towards making direct contact with Jose, hoping negotiators can
convince him to surrender before anyone else gets hurt. But interestingly, officers are about to realize the only
people capable of reaching the father and finally bringing the standoff to an end are his own children. Are we trying
to get that number for him? >> I keep doing they keep asking for it, but I don't know if they ever came
through or not. >> Thank you. LT, >> do you want to put a page out to patrol and then have everybody
>> The officer was telling me the one that is outside my house. >> I'm the next door neighbor.
>> He was telling me that if we got his phone number that was sent down to >> So, who knows Jose?
>> They are his kids. >> Okay. Does anyone have a number for Jose? >> Okay. Can I get the number?
>> Should have it. What does your dad do? What is his job? >> Uh, he builds like boats.
>> Okay. How many guns does he have? >> They have one that's on the side of the house.
>> He had a license. >> Is it a pistol? A rifle? >> I'm not sure. >> It's a >> handgun, bigger gun, handgun. Okay.
>> Harrison rifle. >> Does he have any military experience? >> No. >> Thank you. And where are you at?
>> All right. Thank you. Give me one sec. Stay right here. Okay. >> Dad's in construction. He has one single
handgun. Um, no military. You know what? >> Find a better position. Who should be in
the house? >> Uh, they said I think mom, but I'll double check. >> Find out who I've got.
>> Okay. Who's supposed to be in the house? >> It was me and him. Goodbye. Your mom and
father. >> Okay. So, only people in there right now should be your mom and your father.
>> Yes. >> Thanks to the rescued children, police have now learned crucial information
about Jose, not least his phone number. So, with a direct line to Jose finally established, negotiators would attempt
to initiate contact only to encounter an obstacle. they never saw coming. >> If you want to try and make contact,
that's fine. I don't know if he'll answer. >> I got He said mom or daughter said she
wasn't answering him. >> We'll try. >> Hey, Jose. >> All right. This is Patrick in Soph. How
you doing? >> Believe we have the photo. >> Jose, can you hear me? No English. >> Okay. Any English at all?
>> What do you need? >> You need Spanish? Okay. Momento. Okay. He was shooting at the cops in England.
>> Does the dad speak any English? >> He doesn't speak any English. >> No units on task. I need one Spanish
officer to my position and not for CMT translation. >> I can get Cologne to you.
>> I'll send him now. When we get an accident, let's have them come up and fill here. I'll cover for now. All
right. Just as officers believe they're finally making progress, they discover their
suspect doesn't speak any English. It was already a stroke of luck that Jose answered the officer's call in the first
place. But now they're forced to wait even longer for Officer Coen, a Spanish-sp speakaking officer, to arrive
on scene. While they wait, investigators can't afford to sit still, so they turn
back to the children for answers. because if they can uncover Jose's motive behind all of this, they may be
finally able to understand how [music] exactly to stop him. But before we get to that, I used to just keep all my
money in my bank account, not really thinking it was possible to grow it without having to wrap my head around
all the different investment and saving strategies. But then I realized there was a much simpler way. That's where our
video sponsor, Chime, comes in. Chime is the number one mostloved banking app that makes [music] savings simple,
especially with their high yield savings account. Whether you're saving up for a
new purchase you've wanted for a long time or for a weekend trip, Chime makes it simple. See, the national average
savings rate is 38% APY, which is basically nothing. But with Chime's high yield savings account, you earn 3.75%
APY, about 9 times the national average. To put that into perspective, if you had
$10,000 in a regular savings account, you'd earn about $38 in a year. But with Chime savings account, [music] that same
money could earn about $375 in a year. Chime also takes the thinking out of saving. You can automatically send part
of every paycheck into savings or turn on roundups, so every purchase automatically adds a little extra to
your account. There are no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements, so more
of your money stays yours. And unlike some savings accounts, your money isn't locked up. You can access it anytime.
Chime card also gets you 5% cash back on a category of your choice, which helps on the spending side, too. And you can
switch your category every month if you want. Right now, Chime is offering a $200 bonus when you open up a new Chime
checking account through my link. Chime.com/dins insanity or just click the link in the
description below or scan the QR code on screen. With that said, let's return to
the scene where officers are about to uncover crucial information that will finally shed some light on Jose's
motives. >> So, you two were the only ones in the actual house at the time? >> Yes.
>> Okay. Who called 911 originally? >> Uh, I Well, we are. And then I was like, >> so who was the first person to call
though? >> I really don't know. I guess I talked to Kaitlin, so I kept talking. Okay. So,
you two were in the house with mom and dad originally. You guys heard the shots and then you guys left or I I ran
upstairs. You screaming for my name. >> He shot her in front of me. >> What did you see exactly?
>> I saw my mom running, >> telling him to stop. >> Him behind her. I don't understand
what's going on. I thought, honestly, I thought it was a fake gun that he was shooting her with until I saw her the
blood. She has she had a trip tomorrow to go to California for work. So, I had to do her nails. We were
talking and she was telling me about him fighting and why he was fighting that he was accusing her of cheating
like a wife. >> According to Jose's daughter, the attack on their mother was the result of weeks
of paranoia over Lzvette's alleged affair with her boss. Paranoia that became so intense Jose had begun
stalking Lisvette and even secretly placing recording devices in the home. And with that, detectives realize that
if Jose is capable of snapping and shooting someone over unconfirmed accusations of cheating, reasoning with
him will be incredibly difficult, even with a Spanish translator present. Nevertheless, they have to try.
Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes into the standoff, Officer Coen finally arrives on scene. But as he prepares to
make contact with Jose, he has no idea the shooter is about to make officers question everything they think they know
about the situation and who they're truly up against. Jose, can you hear me? Jose.
Okay. Get some outerity in between the uh take some deep breaths. You're not so stressed.
>> Yeah, I just I just saying he has a child with him. >> Okay. How old is the child?
Okay. Okay. for Jose. Jose makes the bizarre claim that the gunshots officers heard were actually
coming from the television inside the house despite police witnessing him fire multiple rounds. He also insists his
10-year-old son is still inside the home, the same boy officers had just helped escape with his sister moments
earlier. It quickly becomes clear that Jose is either desperately trying to manipulate police [music] or is deeply
detached from reality. Either way, negotiators don't challenge his lies and instead continue trying to convince him
to step outside. But as the call drags on for the next 20 minutes, their worst fears are slowly becoming a reality.
Jose has no intention of surrendering. By now, the standoff has begun taking a visible toll, not only on the officers,
but also on Lzette's children and friends who anxiously wait on the street, knowing that every wasted minute
could cost the innocent mother her chance of survival. And unsurprisingly, tensions are about to boil over as one
of Liz Vet's close friends begins confronting officers over their strategy. >> I'm not telling you how to do your job,
but can can can you all go in? >> So, there's a there's a whole set of situ we have to follow. Okay.
>> But the longer it takes, the longer he's just going to bleed. >> I hear you. We have to be careful cuz
then if we start having this, >> he already said he's not coming out until you guys kill him.
>> Okay. >> Okay. Can we get an ambulance now? Please. There's nobody else in there. I promise
you. I just need somebody to get there. She's bleeding. >> Take a breather. [laughter] Just take a
breather. Okay. >> She's bleeding on the upstairs. And the longer it takes it, the less suggest she
has. >> However, think of it like this, right? Let's say he brought one of his buddies
and had him away in there. And if we But if he did, if he did, right, we don't know that before. If he could have and
if he came, he was coming in. We don't we don't know that we everything we based off sending officers to save her
now they die. It's going to be a whole other battle just to get around them. >> As officers desperately try to calm the
furious crowd, negotiations with Jose appear to be going nowhere. So Manx begins coordinating tactical
preparations for the worst case scenario. Believing Jose is becoming increasingly restless inside the house.
And with no update on Lzvet's condition, a dangerous confrontation may soon become unavoidable. Their next moves
must ensure the victim is saved, no officer is injured, and ideally that the suspect is taken into custody alive.
>> Okay, with the three of us here, let's go over uh assignments in case he in case he does come out
>> cuz we are contact here. >> Yep. >> All right. I need one and go hands. >> I need one lethal. I need one hands and
one verbal. >> I'll do verbal. >> Waiter's got verbals. I'll take >> lethal. I'll hold hands.
>> So, here's how this is going to work. If he does come out and he does start walking this way, Porterfield, you're
gonna stay deadly. Cologne, you're going to switch to less lethal. Jess, you're gonna go hands with him. Got it. Yes.
And you're going to go voice. >> Jose, this is the same. The front door with your hands up.
>> What kind of rifle is it? >> A loud one. All right. So, whatever we do, we are not leaving this position.
Got it. Even if he comes out, runs back in, we are not leaving. >> What was that, Wager?
>> I said if he starts fighting with him on the ground and he we see there's nothing
visible in his hands, I'm I'm going to sling this taser. >> With Sergeant Manx's plan now set in
motion, officers hold their positions, waiting for the green light on whether Jose will surrender or whether they'll
be forced to escalate the situation and make entry. But unbeknownst to Sergeant Manx, he's no longer at the center of
what happens next. as the final phase of the standoff is about to be initiated not by him but by Jose's own son.
At this point, with Jose continuing to resist police commands, his daughter attempts to call him herself,
desperately trying to convince him to surrender, but the call goes unanswered. Then Jose's 10-year-old son tries
[music] calling him, and this time the call connects. The father and son speak for several minutes before Jose suddenly
hangs up. Although it's unclear exactly what was said, moments later, Jose calls
officers back with an update they never saw coming. >> Okay. Okay. Okay. Jose. Okay.
[music] Okay. Against all odds, Jose suddenly says he's ready to surrender. With adrenaline
racing for everyone on the scene, officers hold their position from all directions while the sniper watches over
the front entrance, anxiously waiting for Jose to emerge. But after everything that's happened, police have no way of
knowing whether he's telling the truth or setting up one final ambush. >> Only wager on verbals.
>> Let them know that. Let them >> only wager on verbals. Only wager on verbals. Stay off PA once he makes uh
his exit. The safe police department at the front door with your hands. >> STAY AWAY FROM ME.
>> STOP. >> STOP. GET IT OFF. >> Do not move. >> PUT YOUR HANDS OUT. PUT YOUR HANDS OUT.
>> DON'T MOVE. After nearly 2 hours of gunfire, failed negotiations, and uncertainty, Jose
finally surrenders and is placed in the back of Officer Garnesh's patrol car to be transported to the St. Cloud Police
Department. [music] But even with the shooter out of the picture, the scene is far from over.
With the children's mother still somewhere inside the house, officers finally prepare to make entry, only to
realize they're too late. As officers move through the home, up the stairs, and into the bathroom, they make a
devastating discovery. The children's mother, Lizette, lies deceased beside five spent 9mm casings in a pool of her
own blood. [music] Standing beside her body, officers are left wondering whether they could have done things
differently and whether entering sooner might have ultimately changed the outcome.
As the scene is [music] being secured, Jose has already arrived back at the station and is placed inside an
interrogation room. Interestingly, as he waits for a Spanish translator to arrive, he lies across the table as
though he is the victim, the one who has been wronged. When the translator finally arrives, Jose largely confirms
the story detectives had already heard from his daughter. According to Jose, two weeks earlier, he placed a recording
device after becoming convinced Liz Vet was cheating with her boss. Jose claims he heard another man's voice on the
recording, fueling his paranoia and rage up until the day of the shooting. The same day Lzette was preparing to leave
for a work trip. And though Jose admits to shooting his wife, perhaps most revealing of all, he tells detectives he
never retrieved the weapon from the bathroom because he didn't want to look at her. Following this harrowing
interrogation, Jose is charged with first-degree premeditated murder along with two counts of attempted
first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer. As [music] of June 2026, he remains in custody awaiting a trial
date. And while this case left Florida shaken with how jealousy and insecurity transformed a father of two into a
cold-blooded killer, our next case takes us to Maryland, where a soon-to-be father unleashes a level of evil that
investigators still struggle to comprehend. Inside this gas station, Tori is in the middle of a heated
argument with a clerk after refusing to pay for an iced tea. [music] And this is where all hell breaks loose.
But police would soon learn this isn't even Tori's first kill. Because when officers forced their way through his
front door, they'll uncover even more victims. >> Police department search. >> Jesus Christ. Could this be mom?
>> You don't want to go back there if you don't have to. It's pretty bad. This one
right here. >> To watch this exclusive Dr. Insanity episode along with three more episodes
from our new Tuby series.

Head to https://chime.com/drinsanity or a $200 bonus and 5% cash back with Chime® Thanks Chime for sponsoring this video!

_______

Find our 4 exclusive episodes on TUBI here: https://tubitv.com/series/300021011/dr-insanity-s-murder-files

_______

_______ When 48-year-old Jose Fontanez shoots his wife, Lizvette Figueroa, in front of their children, officers from the St. Cloud Police Department and SWAT find themselves in the middle of a dangerous standoff after Jose opens fire on responding officers and barricades himself inside the family home.

As Sergeant Patrick Mannix and his team race to save the wounded mother, negotiators uncover a disturbing motive rooted in obsession, paranoia, and jealousy. _______ This video was made for educational purposes only.

The video is presented to provide genuine footage of police incidents to promote transparency in government while providing educational, informative and newsworthy content allowing viewers to examine and assess public safety material. This is a fact-checked documentary using authoritative sources.

We are committed to accuracy in every case we cover. Because videos cannot be updated after publication, any corrections, clarifications, or new information will be documented on our official corrections page: https://corrections.drinsanity.com/ _______

Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC. Savings APY: No min. balance required. For more information on Annual Percentage Yields, go to chime.com/disclosures. 9x times national average: Comparison to national average rate on the FDIC’s National Rates and Rate Caps website, as of 06/08/2026. 5% Cash Back: Cash back on eligible Chime Card purchases. Terms and limits apply. Round Ups: Only debit card and credit card purchases can receive round-ups. Split your pay: Must receive a qualifying direct deposit of $1 or more. $200 Bonus: *Terms apply, must open the new account and complete qualifying activities to earn the rewards, up to a maximum of $200.00, as described in the offer terms at https://www.chime.com/join/promos/get200/?promo_code=paid200/#terms

National average APY rate is variable, current rates reported by the FDIC here: https://www.fdic.gov/national-rates-and-rate-caps Round Ups: Only debit card and credit card purchases can receive round-ups.

Split Pay: Must receive a qualifying direct deposit of $1 or more.

Brief Summary

A Florida father shoots his wife, leading to a tense standoff with police and tragic consequences for the family.

Key points

Florida SWAT Rescue Operation. A multi-hour rescue operation unfolds after a father shoots his wife in front of their children.
Children Become Key to Operation. The children of the shooter provide crucial information that could help end the standoff.
Negotiations with Jose. Officers struggle to negotiate with Jose, who refuses to surrender and claims the gunshots were from the TV.
Jose Surrenders. After nearly two hours of chaos, Jose finally gives up to the police.
Tragic Discovery. Officers find the children's mother dead, raising questions about their response time.
Jose's Confession. In interrogation, Jose admits to the murder and reveals his motivations.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I don't want to die.

A child's plea during the standoff.

0:51WatchJun 17, 2026

Tension

85/ 100High tension

More from Dr Insanity

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.