Deadly Seminole County carjacking investigation handed off to feds
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - The case surrounding the carjacking and death of 31-year-old Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas in Winter Springs will be handed off to the feds, according to a Monday afternoon update from Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma and U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Roger Handberg.
Three people have been charged federally, and one by the state, related to the April 11 carjacking at gunpoint, Handberg announced.
Jordanish Torres-Garcia, the alleged carjacker, has been charged with carjacking resulting in death, according to a criminal complaint previously obtained by FOX 35. He was captured by the U.S. Marshals Service in Central Florida on a warrant. He remains in the Marshals' custody in Florida without bond.
He made his first appearance in court last week. A judge ordered him to stay in the U.S. because of the deadly carjacking case, even though he has a warrant out for his arrest in Puerto Rico. Next steps include waiting for the case to be brought before a grand jury.
Kevin Ocasio Justiniano, the man who is believed to have been driving the green Acura behind Guerrero De Aguasvivas' white SUV on the day of the incident, is facing federal charges stemming from drug- and weapon-related charges. He's currently in custody at a federal detention center in Puerto Rico and will be extradited to Central Florida to face those charges.
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Sheriff Lemma previously said Justiniano would also be federally charged with carjacking resulting in death, but those charges have not been brought forth yet. Handberg said that's because the investigation is still ongoing.
Unrelated to the active carjacking, a woman was charged federally in Osceola County for accepting a package from Puerto Rico that contained 3 kilograms of cocaine, valued at $60,000, Handberg said. The woman, Monicsabel Romero-Soto, was arrested and federally charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Her case is pending federal court in Central Florida.
She's connected to the case by her boyfriend, Giovany Joel Crespo Hernandez, who was the last person who spoke to the late Guerrero De Aguasvivas.
Crespo Hernandez was charged by the state on April 18 after a search warrant was executed on his Casselberry home, one that he shared with Romero-Soto. Inside the home, officials found fentanyl, drug ledgers and over $13,000 in cash. He's being held without bond for those state charges.
"The arrest of these four individuals does not mark the end of this investigation. Far from it," Handberg said. "Court proceedings have just begun on our federal cases, and we have a lot more work to do. … We are just getting started."
Handberg added that it's possible more people can be charged federally as the investigation unfolds.
The carjacking: What happened?
On April 11, Guerrero De Aguasvivas was carjacked in broad daylight at the intersection of East Lake Drive and Tuskawilla Road, officials said. The incident was caught on witness video, which has since gone viral and has gained national attention.
Hours later, her vehicle was found engulfed in flames in Osceola County. A body was found inside, which is believed to be that of Guerrero De Aguasvivas. An FBI affidavit noted that Guerrero De Aguasvivas was shot multiple times. However, her identity has not yet been confirmed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) pending the investigation.
RELATED: Who's who in deadly Seminole County carjacking case
On the day of the carjacking, she was reportedly driving from South Florida to Central Florida, although the exact reasons are still unknown. Her husband told law enforcement that she was supposed to be visiting family, but early on in the investigation, no family members were found in the area. Later on, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said they made contact with two of her relatives, but they said they weren't expecting her.
Throughout the investigation, law enforcement has made significant developments, including several arrests and even brought forth federal charges against who they think is responsible.
Officials believe the alleged carjacker is Jordanish Torres-Garcia, who they were able to link to the crime scene through the matching outfit on his Facebook profile photo and the green Acura spotted behind the victim's vehicle.
Federal documents obtained by FOX 35 revealed that Torres-Garcia reportedly met with an unidentified subject about 30 minutes before the carjacking. He was reportedly given the AR-15 and $1,500 to deliver the woman somewhere, although it's unclear at this time to whom or to where.
Throughout the investigation, five people have been arrested. Only two of them, Torres-Garcia and Kevin Ocasio Justiniano – another person of interest who was arrested by US Marshals in Puerto Rico on charges unrelated to the carjacking – will be charged federally with carjacking resulting in death.
Justiniano was linked to the investigation through a red Toyota Corolla that was seen in the same apartment complex the green Acura was found abandoned at after the carjacking, Lemma said. Surveillance video showed the Corolla arriving to the apartment complex to pick up the occupants of the green Acura, who appeared to be cleaning up the car and wiping it down.
A records check of the Corolla came back to a relative of Justiniano, officials said.
Additionally, records put Justiniano at the scene of the carjacking and Lemma said he believes Justiniano was the driver of the green Acura at the time of the carjacking.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
