Seminole CountySheriff Dennis Lemma released names Friday of two persons of interest in theApril 11carjacking and killing of aSouth Floridawoman — including a man he believes is the masked gunman captured on video.
While no suspects were identified, Lemma said detectives were able to tie Jordanish Torres-Garcia, 28, to the car at the center ofKatherine Guerrero De Aguasvivas’ kidnapping.
Detectives discovered he’d purchased the green Acura sedan seen following the 31-year-old as she drove inWinter Springsin a white Dodge SUV. He said the car had been sold by its original owners to a dealership, eventually making its way to Torres-Garcia after he bought it onFacebook Marketplace.
The car was since recovered by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office as part of its investigation into a shooting that killedJuan Luis Cintron Garcia, a 39-year-old tow truck driver who was shot at dozens of times in Taft. A green Acura sedan was seen fleeing the scene, according to investigators.
“(Torres-Garcia’s) phone number is matching the phone number of the person who purchased the green Acura,” Lemma said, noting that calling him a person of interest is for now “probably the safest thing to call him.”
Detectives also found a photo of Torres-Garcia posted to social media appearing in clothing similar to those of the gunman: a black ski mask and what looked like a black long-sleeved shirt bearing a similar design. Torres-Garcia was arrested just after noon Friday inOrlandoon an unrelated federal warrant on weapons charges. He’s being held at theSeminole County Jail.
The second person of interest is 27-year-oldGiovany Crespo Hernandez, who the sheriff said might have been the last person to speak withGuerrero De Aguasvivasover the phone. He was found byGuerrero De Aguasvivas’ brother — identified in court documents asLuis Abreu— after conducting what Lemma said was “his own independent investigation.”
After finding the number through his sister’s iCloud account, Abreu video-calledCrespo Hernandezand took a screenshot later turned over to law enforcement. He said detectives were able to identifyCrespo Hernandezthrough facial-recognition software.
Crespo Hernandez, he said, lives inCasselberrybut was not home when deputies executed a search warrant. While drugs and guns were found at the home, no evidence tied him or any of the items to the carjacking.
Investigators have not yet tied him or Torres-Garcia to the kidnapping, nor have they identified the other passenger in the Acura seen on video. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Seminole Sheriff’s Office or call Crimeline at 800-423-8477.
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Explore all your options“There are some bad players and bad actors that are doing dangerous things with this,” Lemma said. “So I encourage anybody who feels like they may be in harm’s way to come to us for some level of protection. Tell us what you know.”
Friday’s news conference was the third update sinceGuerrero De Aguasvivas’ kidnapping and killing after her car was found on fire inOsceola Countywith her body inside. Lemma said she is believed to have driven toCentral Floridafrom Homestead to “deliver money and other stuff” before she was held up at gunpoint onEast Lake DriveandTuskawilla Road.
While Abreu andMiguel Aguasvivas,Guerrero De Aguasvivas’ husband, have cooperated with detectives, the sheriff said he questions whether they’ve been entirely forthcoming. Namely, he remains skeptical as to why Aguasvivas didn’t call 911 after his wife called him to report she was being followed.
Investigators believe the woman was targeted by the unknown assailants, though it’s not yet clear why. Lemma also questioned Abreu’s own investigation into his sister’s disappearance, but told reporters he doesn’t believe it’s affecting the work of his deputies.
“I’m incredibly skeptical of their level of cooperation, but I’m still identifying them as witnesses and people who are working with us,” he said. “They’ve never been listed as a person of interest, they’ve never been listed as a suspect.”
Abreu and Aguasvivas are also tied to the arrest ofOrange CountyDeputyFrancisco Estrella, who was asked to look into aSeminoledetective assigned to workGuerrero De Aguasvivas’ death. According to an affidavit, Estrella recorded conversations with the detective under an alias, Francisco Archuela, and provided the pair with her driver’s license profile taken from a confidential law enforcement database.
Estrella was arrested Sunday and charged with illegal interception of communications, illegal disclosure of communications and disclosure of confidential criminal justice information, among other crimes. He was suspended by the sheriff’s office, where he’s worked sinceSeptember 2022, as the case proceeds.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released Thursday night on a $15,000 bond.
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