TAVARES, Fla.—The woman accused of plotting to kill Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies last year has been found incompetent to proceed to trial for the second time in three months.
In an order by Circuit Judge Brian Welke, he states Julie Ann Sulpizio, “The Defendant is not competent to proceed due to Psychotic Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder, r/o Schizoaffective Disorder, Bipolar type.”
Sulpizio, 49, will be involuntarily committed to the Department of Children and Families, because she “…is manifestly incapable of surviving alone or with the help of willing and responsible family or friends, including available alternative services, and, without treatment, the Defendant is likely to suffer from neglect or refuse to care for herself and such neglect or refusal poses a real and present threat of substantial harm to the Defendant’s wellbeing; and, (2) There is a substantial likelihood that in the near future the Defendant will inflict serious bodily harm on herself or another person, as evidenced by recent behavior causing, attempting, or threatening such harm,” the order states.
Sulpizio was first declared incompetent in February to stand trial for charges stemming from the Aug. 2, 2024, ambush attack outside Eustis that killed LCSO Master Deputy Bradley Link and wounded K9 Master Deputy Harold Howell and Deputy Stefano Gargano. Sulpizio is accused of starting an altercation with her neighbors on Brookside Drive in unincorporated Eustis. LCSO responded to the altercation and during a well-being check at her home, just down the street from the original call, deputies were ambushed. Link was shot and suffered fatal wounds, and in an immediate rescue attempt of Link, Howell was shot in the wrist and in a subsequent rescue attempt, Gargano was shot multiple times. Gargano returned to light duty earlier this month; Howell continues to recover from his injuries.
Evidence revealed Julie’s husband, Michael, and daughters, Cheyenne and Savannah, all participated in the attack and opened fire on the deputies; all three were found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds after LCSO’s SWAT Team entered the home.
Julie Sulpizio, removed from the scene by deputies before the shootings occurred, was charged with a multitude of crimes. If found competent at a later date, she is facing charges of principal to first degree murder of a law enforcement officer, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, three counts of principal to attempted first degree murder of a law enforcement officer, three counts of battery and one count of battery on a law enforcement officer.
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