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Woman’s body found in car outside home
St. Pete police say officers have been called to the home at least 18 times for domestic violence issues.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The body of a St. Petersburg woman was found in a car in her driveway and police have launched a murder investigation.
According to detectives, Sophie Solis, 43, had not been seen since Wednesday and a concerned friend went to her home to check on her. The friend found Solis' body in a Cadillac that had been parked outside the home on Organdy Drive North. Police have not revealed how she died but said her death appears to have been "violent."
Officers have been called to that house 18 times this year, almost entirely for domestic issues involving Solis and her boyfriend. Court records show she and her boyfriend have taken out restraining orders against each other.
Earlier this month, police arrested the boyfriend for cutting Solis with a knife, but the charges were dropped after she declined to proceed with the case. And according to investigators, a day before Solis' body was found, a neighbor called the police because the boyfriend was making suicidal comments.
Detectives said they are in contact with the boyfriend but have not named him or anyone else a suspect or person of interest at this point.
"We have had instances of ongoing issues there and even some violence in the past, so that's all part of this investigation," said Yolanda Fernandez, a St. Petersburg Police spokesperson. "We don't simply assume or make any kind of assumptions because that's not how we do our investigations. We have to start from scratch."
Neighbors told FOX 13 they had become accustomed to hearing Solis and her boyfriend engaging in arguments that sometimes spilled out of the house.
"If it is a homicidal case and he is involved, then I'm disappointed. I'm absolutely disappointed. It's a shame. It's an absolute shame that it would ever come to this," said Dietrich Shireman, who lives across the street from Solis. "Aside of the drama and the conflict that went on, she was friendly and she was a nice person and she was always there for her friends and her friends absolutely loved her. I could see that, just through her friends and just with the emotional trauma that's going on right now."
Detectives spent much of the day waiting for a search warrant. As of late in the day, it was unclear of one had been issued.
Anyone with information is asked to call the St. Petersburg Police Department at 727-893-7780.
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Woman’s body found in car prompts suspicious death investigation
St. Pete police say a deceased woman was found inside a car parked in the driveway of a home. Someone in the area called 911 around 8 p.m.Thursday, police say.