Two men are in custody and facing charges in connection with the fatal armed carjacking and abduction of a 31-year-old woman in Winter Springs.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office announced that a person of interest in this case, identified as 28-year-old Kevin Ocasio Justiniano, was arrested in Puerto Rico on unrelated drug trafficking and weapons charges.
Another person of interest, 28-year-old Jordanish Torres-Garcia, was taken into custody last week by the United States Marshals Services on unrelated charges.
According to SCSO, Justiniano and Torres-Garcia are believed to be the two suspects involved in the armed carjacking and abduction of Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas.
The carjacking, which was recorded on video by a witness, occurred shortly before 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, near the intersection of E Lake Drive and Tuskawilla Road in the Winter Springs area.
On the video footage, investigators observed an armed male suspect pointing a weapon at a woman, identified as Aguasvivas, who was driving a white Dodge Durango. The suspect was wearing a black hoodie, a mask, and dark clothing.
A second suspect was traveling in a green 2002 Acura sedan with an obscured license plate. The second suspect drove immediately behind the victim’s Durango after the first suspect entered the vehicle, according to SCSO.
In a media release on Tuesday evening, the sheriff’s office stated that investigators believe that Justiniano was the driver of the green Acura, and Torres-Garcia was the armed suspect who walked up to the victim’s vehicle.
According to SCSO, the green Acura was seen “repeatedly ramming” the back of the victim’s vehicle shortly before the carjacking occurred. The victim contacted her husband during the incident, though the sheriff’s office stated that they both did not call 911.
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma stated during a press conference last week that the victim’s phone “looked like it was immediately turned off after that.”
At around 7 p.m. on April 11, witnesses in Osceola County reported hearing gunshots. SCSO stated that the victim’s SUV was later discovered, and it had been set on fire.
Inside the SUV, law enforcement discovered Aguasvivas’ body, which was “badly burned.” She had also sustained gunshot wounds, according to the sheriff’s office.
An investigation into the armed carjacking and homicide was launched. According to the sheriff’s office, investigators learned that a person of interest, Torres-Garcia, was connected to the green Acura used in this crime.
The sheriff’s office stated that during a search of a Facebook profile belonging to Torres-Garcia, investigators found a photo showing Torres-Garcia “wearing the same mask and outfit” as the armed carjacker.
According to SCSO, the cases against Justiniano and Torres-Garcia will be referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Both suspects are expected to be charged with carjacking resulting in a death.
“This case is about drugs and money,” stated Sheriff Lemma. “We believe the most dangerous people connected with this case are now off our streets.”
Third person of interest in custody
The sheriff’s office stated that the investigation into this case has revealed a connection between the victim, Aguasvivas, and a third person of interest, identified as 27-year-old Giovany Joel Crespo Hernandez.
During a press conference on Friday, April 19, Sheriff Lemma stated that the victim’s brother began his own investigation after the carjacking incident. He looked into the victim’s social media history and found a phone number belonging to Crespo Hernandez that the victim had called using FaceTime.
The victim’s brother called that number, spoke with Crespo Hernandez, and took screenshots during the call that were shared with the sheriff’s office.
“The investigation has revealed (Crespo Hernandez) was the last person (the victim) spoke to via FaceTime before she was killed,” stated SCSO in an update.
A search warrant was obtained for a home located in the 1400 block of Guinevere Drive in Casselberry, which is where Crespo Hernandez resides with his girlfriend. During the execution of the search warrant, “trafficking amounts” of fentanyl, money, and a firearm (not believed to be connected to the carjacking case) were discovered, according to the sheriff’s office.
At the time of the search warrant, Crespo Hernandez’s girlfriend accepted a “controlled delivery by Homeland Security Investigations” that contained three kilos of cocaine. She was ultimately arrested in Osceola County, and a warrant was issued for Crespo Hernandez’s arrest on a fentanyl trafficking charge.
On Monday, April 22, Crespo Hernandez turned himself into the John E. Polk Correctional Facility. He was arrested on an active warrant for fentanyl trafficking and possessing marijuana with intent to sell.
According to SCSO, investigators believe that on the day of the fatal carjacking, the victim was “on her way to meet Crespo Hernandez at his Casselberry home to deliver money and other items.”
As of Wednesday morning, Crespo Hernandez has not been charged in connection with the carjacking/homicide. He remains incarcerated on the drug trafficking and possession charges.
Additional details about the ongoing investigation
Seminole County Sheriff Lemma stated during a previous press conference that the victim’s husband and brother have both been cooperative with investigators.
The victim’s husband told law enforcement that his wife had been in the area to visit family members prior to the carjacking incident. While the victim did have several family members in the Central Florida area, the sheriff’s office stated that those relatives were not expecting her arrival.
Regarding the green Acura involved in the carjacking, Sheriff Lemma stated that the vehicle had been abandoned at an apartment complex in Orange County, and it was located by the sheriff’s office on Saturday, April 13.
Investigators are processing the Acura for evidence.
According to Sheriff Lemma, the Acura was reportedly at the scene of a fatal shooting that occurred in Orlando’s Taft neighborhood on Wednesday, April 10, just one day before the carjacking incident.
The sheriff stated that the victim in the Orlando shooting, identified as 39-year-old Juan Luis Cintron Garcia, was a tow truck driver who had towed the green Acura from an Orange County apartment complex on March 19.
According to SCSO, 10mm rounds were used in the fatal shooting of Garcia, which matched the rounds that were recovered from the scene of Aguasvivas’ burned SUV.
Arrest of Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputy
In a previous press conference, Sheriff Lemma also provided an update regarding another development in this case: the arrest of an Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputy identified as 33-year-old Francisco Estrella.
Sheriff Lemma stated that Estrella’s wife and the husband of Aguasvivas were “childhood friends.”
While the victim’s husband was traveling to Seminole County to speak with investigators on Friday, April 12, he reached out to Estrella’s wife.
The deputy, Estrella, then allegedly proceeded to contact an SCSO investigator who was involved in the carjacking investigation. During that conversation, Estrella claimed to be an OCSO detective and provided a false alias while attempting to gather information from the investigator regarding the carjacking and kidnapping case, according to Sheriff Lemma.
In addition, Estrella is accused of illegally accessing a police system that contained information such as home addresses, photographs, and signatures of the primary SCSO detective working the case. He also allegedly recorded all communication between himself and the detective, and this communication was then forwarded to Aguasvivas’ husband while he was en route to Seminole County to speak with law enforcement.
When Aguasvivas’ husband arrived in Seminole County, he provided his phone to investigators. During a forensic examination of the phone, law enforcement learned about his communication with Estrella and the OCSO deputy’s wife, according to Sheriff Lemma.
Estrella was arrested by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday, April 14. He is being charged with interception of wire, oral or electronic communication; disclosure of wire, oral or electronic communication; disclosure or use of confidential criminal justice information; unlawful use of a two-way communication device; and accessing computer or electronic devices without authorization or exceeding authorization.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Estrella was hired in September of 2022. He has been relieved of all law enforcement duties without pay while the criminal case is underway. Once the criminal proceedings have concluded, the sheriff’s office will conduct an administrative investigation, and the results of that investigation will be made public.
“These are very serious criminal allegations. It is completely unacceptable for any law enforcement officer to misuse the power and authority of their job,” stated Orange County Sheriff John Mina.
“At the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, we hold our deputies to the highest ethical standards, and we will not tolerate anyone breaking the law within our ranks,” added Sheriff Mina.
The investigation into this case is ongoing.
The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and Orange County Sheriff’s Office are encouraging anyone with information regarding this investigation to come forward. If you have any information that could help investigators, please contact SCSO (407-665-6650) or OCSO (407-836-4357).
Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can contact the Central Florida Crimeline by calling 1-800-423-TIPS(8477) or clicking here to submit an online tip. If you use Crimeline and your tip leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a cash reward.