Florida woman missing after brazen carjacking near Winter Springs believed dead

WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. – A Florida woman kidnapped during an armed carjacking that was captured on video Thursday near Winter Springs is believed to be dead after a body and burned-out vehicle were found a short time later in Osceola County, according to the Seminole County sheriff.

Sheriff Dennis Lemma said at a news conference Friday that Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas, 31, of Homestead, was stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of East Lake Drive and Tuskawilla Road in her Dodge Durango around 6 p.m. when a masked gunman carrying a 10mm automatic handgun got out of a green Acura and entered her SUV, apparently forcing her to drive off at gunpoint.

Another driver in traffic recorded video of the incident and alerted authorities, Lemma said.

Less than two hours later, a vehicle similar to the Durango was found ablaze in Osceola County after witnesses reported hearing gunshots at a construction site near Boggy Creek Road, said Lemma, adding that the vehicle was damaged so badly that it could not be identified.

“(Osceola County deputies) also discovered that one person was (dead) in that vehicle,” said Lemma, who added that a positive ID of the victim has not been made.

“We believe that to be the vehicle and the decedent to be Katherine, but we have to positively confirm that through the scientific method of DNA examinations and dental records. But from all accounts of looking at the scene, it looks like the vehicle and victim is consistent to everything that we’ve seen so far,” Lemma said.

No information is known about the gunman, and Lemma urged the public to contact authorities if they know anything about the crime.

Lemma started his news conference by saying, “What we are now investigating is a homicide,” before he detailed the events leading to the carjacking and provided other details.

Lemma said Guerrero De Aguasvivas, whose home country was the Dominican Republic, was a U.S. citizen who lived in the United States for the last five years. He said her husband is associated with two businesses in South Florida, a barber shop and a beauty salon.

According to Lemma, Guerrero De Aguasvivas’ husband said his wife was traveling to Central Florida to visit family, but authorities are not aware of any relatives living in the area, nor are there any records of Guerrero De Aguasvivas or her husband having any connections to the area.

Before the carjacking was captured on video, the driver of the green car started ramming into the back bumper of Guerrero De Aguasvivas’ vehicle, said Lemma, who added that she then called her husband to say she was being followed.

“The husband provided the advice to don’t stop,” Lemma said. “Don’t stop anywhere.”

According to Lemma, no one notified authorities about her SUV being rammed.

“I’m not going to speculate, you know, anytime something like this happens, we always encourage (people to call) 911,” Lemma said. “I can’t explain why this would occur a half a mile before the intersection that she would call her husband. Her husband would say, ‘Don’t stop.’ I could see somebody saying (that), you know, but to not call 911 is something that, again, I don’t know the answer to that. If it was me, I’m going to call 911 or I’m going to encourage my family and friends to call 911. That did not happen in this case.”

Guerrero De Aguasvivas stopped at a red light at the intersection, which is when a gunman wearing a “ski or ninja-style” mask got into the SUV, said Lemma, who added that it’s believed he then forced her to drive to State Road 417.

According to the sheriff’s office, that gunman was “believed to be a white or Hispanic male in a black hoodie” and dark clothing.

“(They) likely got off at the Narcoossee Road exit. They traveled the back roads of Narcoossee, ultimately turning off onto Boggy Creek Road into Osceola County, where there was a newer construction area that was set off in a little bit of a distance but not so far away,” Lemma said.

Witnesses then reported hearing gunshots and seeing smoke from a fire, which was the vehicle burning, according to Lemma.

The motive for the carjacking and apparent homicide are the focus of the investigation.

However, Lemma explained that both the gunman and Acura driver should be considered armed and dangerous.

“We do feel that the occupants of the green Acura, both the driver and at least one other person that got out of the car and entered into the Durango, knew exactly who they were following,” Lemma said. “We are again still putting together to try to explain a motive. There is no criminal history here for either Katherine or her husband. There is no clear indicator why somebody would do this, but we do feel and believe because she was being followed.”

Lemma said the person who recorded the incident is a hero.

“The people who are who are following behind this (and) witnessing this are absolute heroes with providing critical information of a very dangerous and frightening situation,” he said. “It wasn’t that long ago where we did not have cameras on our cellphones, and we always promote if you see something, say something. That’s exactly what happened here.”

The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office is the lead agency on the investigation, and Lemma urged anyone with information about the case to contact authorities.

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