Phoenix Police are investigating a murder-suicide in which a 46-year-old woman is believed to have been killed by her partner.
Monday about noon, police officers were called to a home near Maryvale Parkway and Indian School Road. The 911 caller reported finding their parents dead inside the residence.
Officers located 46-year-old Debra Fernandez and her 52-year-old husband in a bedroom, Sgt. Steve Martos said. They had sustained gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspected shooter is Thomas Fernandez, the victim's husband.
Detectives say both the victim and suspect had been involved in a verbal altercation late Sunday night into the morning hours. They had been arguing over finances.
Family members staying in the home reported hearing "popping" sounds sometime overnight but did not realize they were gunshots, according to Sgt. Martos.
When the couple did not exit their bedroom in the morning, one of their children checked on them and found the bodies.
Two adult children of the victim live in the home, along with five children under the age of 5.
Debra's son Nathan told us her husband was a pastor and they were together for many years. No one knows what happened.
To donate: Wells Fargo bank account in the name of Debra Fernandez Memorial Fund
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