A massive investigation involving multiple federal agencies is continuing into the suspects arrested in connection with the fatal armed carjacking and abduction of a Homestead woman that was caught on camera in central Florida earlier this month.
A massive investigation involving multiple federal agencies is continuing into the suspects arrested in connection with the fatal armed carjacking and abduction of a Homestead woman that was caught on camera in central Florida earlier this month.
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma and U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Roger Handberg spoke Monday afternoon to give an update on the investigation into killing of of 31-year-old Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas.
Handberg said local and state agencies are working with the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals and U.S. Postal Inspections Service in the probe into Aguasvivas' killing.
HOMESTEAD WOMAN'S MURDER
The Hurricane season is on. Our meteorologists are ready. Sign up for the NBC 6 Weather newsletter to get the latest forecast in your inbox.
"The goals of this joint local, state and federal investigation involving nine different law enforcement agencies, have been to neutralize any threat to the public and to conduct a thorough, methodical, comprehensive, meticulous and unrelenting investigation that will bring justice to the victim and hold everyone accountable who was involved in her carjacking and murder," Handberg said. "This simply has been an all hands on deck situation."
Lemma said the decision to make the case federal came after the massive scope of the investigation became clear.
"I feel what we witnessed out there with that carjacking, what we witnessed with the murder, are probably symptoms of a larger problem that's going on that extend well beyond the scope of the 18th Judicial Circuit," Lemma said.
Shocking video from a witness showed the armed abduction of Aguasvivas in broad daylight at a Winter Springs intersection back on April 11.
Aguasvivas had left Homestead earlier in the day and was driving a white Dodge Durango when a green Acura rammed into her back bumper.
The witness video showed Aguasvivas stopped at a red light at the intersection as a man in a mask got out of the Acura and approached the Dodge with a gun drawn.
Hours after the carjacking, Aguasvivas' body was found inside her burned-out vehicle in another Orlando-area county. She had been shot multiple times.
"It was a gruesome murder, the victim was shot several times and her body was found in a burning car," Handberg said. "This was not a random act, it was a targeted act and this targeted act has led to a targeted local, state and federal law enforcement investigation."
Two men, Jordanish "Jordan" Torres-Gracia and Kevin "Kevo" Ocasio Justiniano, both 28, are facing federal charges of carjacking resulting in death in Aguasvivas' killing.
Torres-Gracia told investigators he was the masked man with the weapon who abducted Aguasvivas, and said he'd been paid to kidnap her and deliver her to someone, an arrest affidavit said.
Torres-Gracia said the weapon was unloaded and had been given to him a half hour before the carjacking, and said he was paid $1,500 to deliver her to an individual who wasn't identified in the affidavit.
Lemma said investigators believe Justiniano was the driver of the green Acura used in the abduction.
Torres-Gracia was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service. Justiniano was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service on in Puerto Rico, Lemma said.
Justiniano was initially arrested on drug trafficking and possession of an automatic weapon charges. He's expected to be extradited to Florida to face the carjacking charge.
Another person of interest in the Aguasvivas case, Giovany Joel Crespo Hernandez, 27, turned himself in on a warrant for fentanyl trafficking and possession of marijuana with intent to sell, officials said.
Authorities believe Hernandez may have been the last person who spoke with Aguasvivas, and said Aguasvivas was delivering money "and other stuff" for Hernandez when she was abducted.
Lemma previously said investigators believe the case was about drugs and money, and Handberg seemed to agree.
"Violence and drug trafficking go hand in hand," Handberg said. "Simply put, drug trafficking is dangerous."
Handberg said authorities aren't limiting their investigation to the carjacking and murder of Aguasvivas, and also aren't limiting it to only the suspects in custody.
