Fla. Grandmother and Her Dog Killed in Suspected Arson Murder: 'She Didn't Deserve This'

A Florida woman and her dog were killed after authorities say a man set fire to her home.

Early on the morning of Jan. 17, police responded to a burning duplex in Deerfield Beach, Fla., the Broward County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

Inside the home, which had been engulfed in flames, they found the body of Ana Paula Ribeiro de Souza, 54, according to the sheriff’s office. Police did not immediately reveal her cause of death. Her dog was also found dead as a result of the fire.

Police alleged that Genivaldo Gomes Moreira, also of Deerfield Beach, killed de Souza and set her home on fire. He was the victim’s boyfriend, reports WSVN.

Gomes Moreira fled the area of the crime in a 2002 gold Saturn, police said. He was arrested two days later in Manatee County.

Manatee County jail records indicate that Gomes Moreira has not yet been extradited to Broward County, where he will face charges of felony murder, arson and cruelty to animals.

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De Souza had four children and three grandchildren, per a GoFundMe campaign started by her family.

“Paula was the kind of person who always had a smile to give, a comforting word to share, and a helping hand for anyone in need,” reads the campaign. “She left behind a legacy of love, faith, and dedication to her family and friends. Sadly, she left us unexpectedly, and now it is our mission to honor her memory in the best way possible.”

The GoFundMe had raised over $10,000 as of Jan. 21, the day of her funeral service.

“She didn’t deserve this,” her daughter Kimberly Silva told NBC 6. “Her life was just going to church and coming home being with her children.”