SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office is now investigating a homicide after they believe they found the body of a woman who was carjacked at gunpoint.
Video of an armed gunman approaching her vehicle last Thursday was taken an hour and 45 minutes before deputies found a body in a burning car in Osceola County.
As the investigation continues, there are many questions about what happened and why.
Below is the timeline of events in this case with information provided by investigators:
APRIL 10
The day before the carjacking, a tow truck driver was gunned down in the Taft neighborhood of Orange County.
Detectives said they believed that the shooting had been targeted, and News 6 later counted around 80 evidence markers outside a home near where the shooting took place.
According to Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma, over 100 rounds had been fired during that shooting, with “a good percentage” of those rounds being 10mm bullets.
APRIL 11
12 P.M.
Lemma said Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas left Homestead just after noon and started driving to Seminole County. Her vehicle was seen driving northbound through Jupiter during her trip.
3:30-4:00 P.M.
Aguasvivas arrives in Seminole County on Interstate 4, according to the sheriff’s office. She stopped to pump gas at a Shell station located just south of State Road 436 and U.S. Highway 17-92 and stayed for approximately eight minutes. Deputies said she left there and drove through Casselberry on Button Road, and continued to drive on back roads until she arrived in the Winter Springs area.
About a half mile before the intersection of East Lake Drive and Tuskawilla Road, Lemma said Aguasvivas noticed a green Acura was behind her before it rammed into her vehicle. At that time, her husband told deputies she called him and told him what happened.
“She picked up the phone and called her husband, told her husband that she was being rammed, that there was somebody there that was following her,” Lemma said. “The husband provided her with the advice: Don’t stop, don’t stop anywhere.”
Law enforcement is not aware of any reports that Aguasvivas or her husband called 911 for help.
BEFORE 6 P.M.
A witness driving behind Aguasvivas’ white Dodge Durango saw the armed carjacking and recorded cell phone video of the event. It shows a masked man approaching the driver’s window and pointing a gun at her. He then gets into the back seat while the vehicle is still stopped at a red light.
Deputies believe the suspect had gotten out of the green Acura that was following Aguasvivas, Lemma said Friday.
Both cars are seen on camera making a U-turn at the intersection.
[WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT BY CLICKING IN THE MEDIA PLAYER BELOW]
Lemma said a passenger in the witness’s car called 911 to notify law enforcement.
Detectives suspect Aguasvivas was ordered at gunpoint to turn around again and head southbound on Tuskawilla Road toward the Seminole/Orange County line to Aloma Avenue.
“Once they get to Aloma, they make a left. They go all the way across all lanes of traffic so they can get on State Road 417 southbound,” Lemma said. “They drive southbound on 417, likely getting off at the Narcoossee Road exit. They travel the back roads, ultimately turning off onto Boggy Creek Road in Osceola County.”
APPROXIMATELY 7 P.M.
Witnesses in Osceola County reported hearing gunshots and seeing smoke from a vehicle fire. Lemma said the car was badly damaged, and a body was found inside it. Authorities believe it is Aguasvivas.
They also found shell casings from a gun on the ground, investigators said Friday.
Detectives are working to find out when the suspects in the green Acura started trailing Aguasvivas and why she was in Seminole County.
Lemma said this was not a random incident and he believes the suspects knew exactly who they were following. Why they targeted Aguasvivas is still unclear.
“There’s a lot of unknowns, a lot of things that will leave people scratching their head, and I think the biggest is why?” Lemma said. “This isn’t a random incident. They were ramming the car half a mile before that intersection.”
Lemma told News 6 that Aguasvivas spent less than an hour in Seminole County, and his deputies have no knowledge of her or the suspects living, doing business, or being in the county prior to this incident.
Her husband told deputies she was there to visit family, according to the sheriff’s office. Lemma said they have not been able to find any relatives in the area so far.
“There’s no criminal history here for either Katherine or her husband in the United States. There is no clear indicator why somebody would do this,” Lemma said.
Aguasvivas and her husband have two businesses, a barber shop and a beauty salon, in South Florida, according to the sheriff’s office.
In addition, a detective working on the case contacted Aguasvivas’ husband — Miguel Aguasvivas — and her brother to be interviewed in the case. The two agreed to travel from Homestead to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, detectives said.
APPROXIMATELY 11 P.M.
The same detective received a phone call from an Orange County deputy who identified himself as “Francisco Archuela,” claiming to be Katherine Aguasvivas’ cousin.
“Archuela” said he was concerned about his cousin’s safety and asked the detective for more details about the investigation, though she told him that the case was still active and that she couldn’t divulge any information about it, an arrest warrant affidavit shows.
When asked whether he knew why Katherine Aguasvivas was in the area, “Archuela” told the detective that they don’t speak with each other often.
APRIL 12
The detective received another phone call from “Archuela,” who again asked about how the investigation was going. As a result, the detective told “Archuela” that she couldn’t speak with him at that time and would call him back later, though court records show she never did.
Miguel Aguasvivas arrived at the sheriff’s office, providing his cell phone and allowing investigators to search the device.
APRIL 13
The green Acura was found abandoned at an Orange County apartment complex, and it was taken to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office to be evaluated.
APRIL 14
During the search of the cell phone, investigators discovered that “Archuela” was actually Deputy Francisco Estrella, 33, and he had been in contact with Miguel Aguasvivas via WhatsApp.
According to the affidavit, the two had been sharing details about the detective whom Estrella had called, and Estrella had used a law enforcement database to contact her.
In addition, Estrella had shared a video recording of their conversation with Miguel Aguasvivas just minutes after Estrella contacted the detective on April 11, the affidavit states.
Estrella was arrested on charges of 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; accessing computer or electronic devices without authorization or exceeding authorization. He is held on bond of $18,000.
“The act of sending these items to someone actively being sought for an interview and believed to be involved in the original crime clearly shows that Estrella had intent to obstruct this investigation, as there is no reasonable explanation for his actions,” the affidavit reads.
APRIL 15
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma discussed Estrella’s arrest, revealing that Katherine Aguasvivas’ brother and Miguel Aguasvivas had called a mutual childhood friend — who just so happened to be Estrella’s wife.
“The wife of the Orange County deputy reached out and said, ‘I’ve been contacted by this person who is identified by name as a detective with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. Can you find out whatever information you can about this particular person?’” Lemma said.
During that same news conference, Lemma explained that the green Acura — one of only three in Florida — had been sold to a dealership in December before being sold again to an auto auction. The car was then bought by a “buy here, pay here” lot, which later sold it again.
“And the people who purchased the car never came back to finish the additional paperwork. They still owed the person money so the car has been out on the streets probably since February,” Lemma said.
In addition, Lemma announced that a green Acura had been spotted near the scene where the tow truck driver was shot on April 10.
What’s more: the slain truck driver had been responsible for towing the Acura from an apartment complex back in March.
Lemma went on to explain that 10mm bullets — just like those found near the shooting scene of the tow truck driver — were used to kill Aguasvivas in Osceola County, although her body has not been positively identified yet.
“An incredibly unique and uncommon round for us to see out on the streets,” Lemma said.
However, those involved in the shootings and the individuals in the green Acura have still not been identified at this time, according to deputies.
Estrella also entered a written plea of not guilty.
APRIL 16
Homeland Security Investigators in Orlando were alerted to a “suspicious parcel” that was addressed to a home at 1855 Overcup Ave. in St. Cloud.
According to investigators, the return label was listed as an address in Puerto Rico.
APRIL 17
Estrella’s attorney filed a motion to request bond.
Meanwhile, the “suspicious parcel” from the previous day was intercepted, and an apparent lamp fixture was found inside, investigators said.
However, detectives soon discovered three “bricks” of cocaine that were hidden in the fixture using caulk and nails. Court records show that police delivered the parcel to try to nab whomever was responsible.
During this time, a white Acura was spotted driving around for around an hour near 1855 Overcup Ave. before parking in the driveway.
The driver — Monicsabel Romero-Soto — got out of the car while carrying a baby and picked up the parcel, investigators said.
As a result, Romero was placed under arrest.
Detectives said she didn’t live at the address and mentioned she was just trying to pick up her lamp, though she had no explanation for the cocaine stashed inside.
It was later discovered that Romero lived in Casselberry, and her boyfriend — Giovany Crespo Hernandez — is involved in a Central Florida drug ring, a criminal complaint shows.
According to investigators, Crespo has previously been the target of a 2020 drug investigation in Miami, which ended with over $330,000 being seized. Crespo is also a person of interest in several home invasions and homicide cases.
Elsewhere, Seminole County deputies executed a search warrant at Romero’s home, finding several thousands of dollars, drug ledgers, multiple cell phones, high-value stolen jewelry and firearms, the complaint states.
Alongside those items were several narcotics, including fentanyl, cannabis and other drug paraphernalia.
APRIL 18
Estrella was granted a $15,000 bond and released from jail.
APRIL 19
Sheriff Lemma held another news conference, announcing Romero’s arrest and explaining that deputies were searching for Crespo over fentanyl possession charges.
According to Lemma, Crespo is also believed to be the last person whom Katherine Aguasvivas spoke to.
Those details were courtesy of Katherine Aguasvivas’ brother, who had apparently been investigating on his own.
Lemma said the brother didn’t recognize Crespo, but he called him, took a screenshot of him, and gave that to detectives. The brother also told detectives that Crespo said Katherine Aguasvivas had been in town to deliver “money and other things to a friend.”
In addition, Lemma explained that a third person had been arrested by federal investigators on an unrelated weapons charge. They’re now a person of interest in the initial carjacking.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Office or the Seminole County’s Sheriff Office.
Alternatively, tips can be made anonymously through Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477.
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