Delaware State Police are investigating a homicide and officer-involved shooting that occurred in New Castle County Sunday that left one woman and one man dead.
Officials said on August 4, 2024, at approximately 9:41 a.m., troopers were dispatched to the Exxon, located at 414 Main Street in Stanton, for a report of a male with a firearm at a nearby residence.
A short time later, troopers, along with Fire and EMS, responded to a residence on the 1700 block of Limestone Road, for a separate report of a house fire. Upon arriving, emergency personnel found a 22-year-old Wilmington 22-year-old Alondra Quinonez suffering from a gunshot wound in the home and began life-saving efforts. Quinonez was pronounced dead at the scene.
Due to the nature of the investigation, the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit and the Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office assumed the investigation.
The preliminary investigation showed that the suspect, 57-year-old Francisco Vasquez of Milford, forcibly entered his ex-spouse’s home and fired multiple rounds at the two occupants. The gunfire struck Quinonez. The second occupant, a 20-year-old Wilmington man, was not struck and fled from the residence to the nearby Exxon. The homeowner was not at the residence.
After the shooting, Vasquez set fire to the home and fled in a vehicle police said. Through investigative means, members of the Delaware State Police Aviation Section located the suspect vehicle and suspect in the area of the C&D Canal.
Over the course of several hours, troopers attempted to negotiate with Vasquez, who was armed. He had climbed onto the lower level of a high-tension electrical tower. Ultimately, the suspect fired a weapon at troopers, which prompted three troopers to discharge their divisional-issued firearms at him.
Following the shooting, troopers administered first aid to Vasquez, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Per Delaware State Police standard operating procedures, the involved troopers have been placed on administrative leave pending a use of force investigation conducted in conjunction with the Delaware Department of Justice.
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On Sunday, Delaware authorities faced a fluid and tense situation that kept them busy for most of the day. What began as a house fire in the Rolling Hills development off Limestone Road escalated into a more horrifying incident.
Firefighters responding to the scene learned that a man, described as an ex-husband, was dousing the home with gasoline and setting it ablaze. As crews arrived, they were met with heavy smoke and made entry into the home. During their efforts to extinguish the fire and search for occupants, they found a victim. Early reports indicated that the victim succumbed to their injuries at the scene.
As authorities were investigating what has been described as an arson fire they begin searching for a Hispanic male in his 50s in connection with the fire.
Law enforcement across the region was alerted to the incident and provided with a description of the suspect’s vehicle. Between 1:30 and 2:00 PM, law enforcement began converging on an area of the C&D Canal after receiving information that the suspect might be in the vicinity.
Although our original reporting indicated that the suspect was found in a tower on the train bridge that crosses the canal, we now believe the suspect had climbed a high tension electric utility tower west of the Summit Bridge and tied a noose around his neck. Delaware State Police SORT team members moved into the area and began negotiations with the suspect. During the negotiations, the suspect fired his weapon multiple times. As a precaution, authorities ordered canal traffic closed in both directions.
Witnesses reported SWAT vehicles heading to the area, and sources indicated that the suspect might have been live streaming during the incident, vowing not to go out on his own according to some reports,. As law enforcement negotiated with the suspect, he repeatedly put a gun to his head and fired at a drone overhead sources say.
Around 6:15 PM, while the drone and Trooper 4 monitored the suspect, gunfire rang out, and the suspect fell from the structure. The suspect sustained two penetrating wounds to the upper torso and fell about 15 feet. Medics staged nearby, rushed in but were unable to save the man. It remains unclear whether the suspect shot himself or was fired upon by law enforcement.
Authorities have not yet identified the person who died in the house fire, and there are unconfirmed reports of the deaths of two pets.
This is a developing story.