A man has been arrested in connection with the murder and arson that killed a woman and her dog in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Authorities say 41-year-old Genivaldo Gomes Moreira was taken into custody in Manatee County. He will be brought back to Broward County to face charges of murder, arson, and animal cruelty.
The victim, 54-year-old Ana De Souza, was found dead inside her duplex at 4329 NW Fourth Avenue on Friday morning. Firefighters responded to reports of a fire and found her body after putting out the flames. Her dog also died in the fire.
Detectives from the Broward Sheriff’s Office began investigating and later identified Gomes Moreira as the suspect. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and authorities say he left the scene in a gold 2002 Saturn.
Ana De Souza’s granddaughter, 14-year-old Ayllah Costa, expressed her sorrow over the loss. She told , “I really do want justice for her. She was a happy woman who had plans for her future.”
The sheriff’s office has not yet shared how Ana De Souza was killed or why it happened.
In a similar case in Nevada, a man named Clarence Martin Jr. was sentenced to life in prison for killing his two-month-old daughter by throwing her from a balcony and setting a fire that also killed his fiancé’s dog. Martin was found guilty after his defense team claimed he was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time. The incident occurred in October 2020, and Martin was caught after fleeing the scene.
