PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Pinellas Park Police said a woman was found dead inside an apartment in Pinellas Park after multiple agencies responded to an apartment unit at the Clear Harbor Apartments in Clearwater Friday for a possible hazmat investigation.
First-responders detected a strong chemical odor when they arrived. Neighbors were evacuated as a precaution.
"The odor was coming from the apartment where this incident originated and so it is in essence a part of the crime scene. Obviously, we’re in the investigation part of the case so we have to determine what happened when," said Sgt. Roxanne Pohl with Pinellas Park Police.
After the odor cleared, investigators found a woman injured inside an apartment. She was taken to a local hospital where she died. Pinellas Park Police said an infant was also transported to a local hospital as a precaution and had no reported injuries.
Investigators have not said how the woman died but did take a person of interest into custody. The individual was located near the apartment complex.
Pinellas Park Police said one of their officers and a Pinellas Park Fire Department member were exposed to an unknown substance that prompted the initial call. The fire department said it would take a few days to determine the chemical, but believed it was some type of petroleum makeup.
Police said during a news conference, the person being questioned had a domestic relationship with the victim.
All residents in the area have been able to return to their homes.
