Lake County deputy ambush: Unraveling disturbing details behind Sulpizio family
TAVARES, Fla. - FOX 35 News is investigating the family at the center of a deadly ambush of the Lake County sheriff's deputies, uncovering new details that may help solve the puzzle behind their motives.
Neighbors reported seeing Julie Sulpizio walking her dogs along the road, the same dogs that deputies later found dead in front of the home. Sulpizio told detectives she shot the dogs, believing they were vessels for "Lucifer."
A probable cause affidavit for Sulpizio’s arrest reveals she told detectives about a body underneath their house — a person named "Nolan Rivers," who she claimed her husband, Michael Sulpizio, had trapped there a week earlier. However, a search of the residence by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office yielded no results.
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Nolan Rivers's identity and connection to the family remain under investigation.
The Sulpizio family's story is rife with religious themes, with Julie Sulpizio allegedly calling herself God and claiming divine direction. In contrast, the family referred to Michael Sulpizio as "my king," with assertions that the king would kill them all.
Richard Eldridge, the biological father of Cheyenne and Savannah Sulpizio, expressed his surprise at the religious overtones.
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"Julie showed no interest whatsoever in any religious beliefs," said Eldridge, who dated Julie on and off for about three years. "When Julie and I were dating, she was a happy-go-lucky woman."
Eldridge believes that Michael Sulpizio is to blame for the attack, even if Julie was involved.
"I guess Julie finally got persuaded and manipulated and eventually agreed to come to terms with it," he said.
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Rochelle Eldridge, Richard’s ex-wife, and former stepmother to Cheyenne and Savannah, said, "I always thought Julie kept Rich away out of some kind of protective fear. It kind of clicked the other day that wasn't the case. It was so she had absolute 100% control. You can't brainwash and manipulate somebody — well, very easily anyway — if you don't have control."
Rochelle also claimed that a friend who knew the Sulpizios reported instances of isolation and physical abuse in the household, which she says she reported to DCF.
"The scream that left my body because I warned people this was going to happen, and I was ignored," Rochelle said.
When FOX 35 News inquired about Rochelle's report, the Department of Children and Families responded, stating that they "conduct investigations concerning all allegations of abuse, neglect, or abandonment" but added that "information regarding investigations is confidential." It remains unclear whether DCF received or acted on Rochelle's warning.
As the investigation continues, FOX 35 is seeking more information about anti-government propaganda and conspiracy theory-related media found inside the Sulpizio home. However, the Sheriff’s Office has stated that detectives are not yet ready to release those details.