Netflix’s ‘The Perfect Neighbor’ Is a Heartbreaking Portrait of an America Where People Hate Each Other

Susan Lorincz didn’t want children playing in the grassy area near her rental unit.

The Perfect Neighbor (2025) tells the story of a mother of four who lost her life due to a dispute over children playing in a Florida neighborhood.

Netflix has no shortage of shocking true crime documentaries. Just this fall we’ve seen a mother catfish and bully her own daughter and a famous serial killer’s daughter speak out about growing up with a nefarious man. Netflix’s latest release is a somber story about race relations in America.

The Perfect Neighbor is about a neighborhood in Ocala, Florida. Made up of small one-story rental units, the many kids in the neighborhood use an empty lot to play games. When 58-year-old Susan Louise Lorincz rents a unit adjacent to the grassy area, she begins calling police to report the children trespassing.

Tensions rise as Lorincz yells at the children and gains a reputation as the neighborhood Karen. The kids begin using only half the grassy area to play, as the neighbor on that side has welcomed them to use it. Still, Lorincz’s fights with the children continued. They reported she regularly swore at them, calling them jackasses, “black slaves” and using the n word.

Susan Lorincz explains to police why she called neighborhood children the n-word.

On June 2, 2023 in a dispute with neighborhood children, Lorincz threw a pair or rollerskates at one child and threatened another with an umbrella. Lorincz called police to report the children. The children’s mother, 35-year-old Ajike “A.J.” Owens, went to Lorincz’s home to confront her, knocking on her front door and patio door (a few feet apart) and asking Lorincz to come out. Lorincz then shot through her front door, striking Owens in the chest and called police again. Lorincz said she shot her gun because she feared for her life, but only two minutes had passed since her previous call reporting the children.

Susan Lorincz explains that someone knocking on her door for 90 seconds caused her so much fear that she blindly fired her gun blindly through her front door.

The Owens’ door camera caught the children’s heartbreaking response to the shooting. One staying across the street to attempt to give CPR to his mother while the other screamed for someone to call 911. Most of The Perfect Neighbor is told through police bodycam footage. When police arrive, more is shown of Ajike’s children learning of her fate.

Susan Lorincz hangs her head upon learning that her victim, mother of four Ajike Owens has died from her injuries.

Meanwhile, Lorincz is brought to the police station and questioned. When asked why she shot blindly through her door, not knowing if she would hit a child, she said she feared for her life and wasn’t thinking. She hangs her head upon learning that her victim has passed away.

Lorincz was charged with manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery, and two counts of assault. In 2024, a jury found Lorincz guilty and she was sentenced to 25 years in prison. She is currently serving her sentence at the Homestead Correctional Institution in Florida.

Ajike “A.J.” Owens was a 35-year-old mother of four, who was shot and killed by her neighbor, Susan Lorincz.

The Perfect Neighbor was directed and produced by Emmy and Peabody award-winning filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir. It is currently the #1 movie on Netflix.

Meet The Author

Chrissy Stockton

Chrissy is the co-founder of Creepy Catalog. She has over 10 years of experience writing about horror, a degree in philosophy and Reiki level II certification.