WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. — Federal court documents released Thursday show what investigators believe was the direct cause of an April 11 fatal carjacking in Seminole County: $170,000.
Four men have been indicted in the carjacking and killing of 31-year-old Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida, Jordanish Torres Garcia, 28, Kevin Ocasio Justiniano, 27, Giovany Crespo Hernandez, 27, and Dereck Alexis Rodriguez Bonilla, 21, have all been charged with carjacking resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death, and use of a firearm in a crime of violence.
According to a revised motion for detention filed in connection with the case, Guerrero De Aguasvivas was on her way to Casselberry from Homestead to pick up $170,000 that investigators say was collected from illegal drug sales.
She was reportedly on her way to Crespo Hernandez's home, but as she drove north, "Crespo Hernandez called Torres Garcia and conspired with him to rob and carjack (Guerrero De Aguasvivas) for the $170,000 after she retrieved it from Crespo Hernandez," the court filing said.
Torres Garcia then allegedly called Ocasio Justiniano and Rodriguez Bonilla to help in the plan.
According to investigators, several witnesses gave similar descriptions of Guerrero De Aguasvivas' abduction at gunpoint just after 5:30 p.m. on April 11 at the intersection of East Lake Drive and Tuskawilla Road in Winter Springs.
At that point, Guerrero De Aguasvivas' white Dodge Durango and a 2002 green Acura made a U-turn and left the scene, witnesses told investigators.
According to Thursday's court filing, Torres Garcia allegedly admitted to being the person who approached Guerrero De Aguasvivas' white Dodge Durango SUV brandishing an "AR-15 style rifle."
About an hour later, investigators say Guerrero De Aguasvivas and her abductors arrived in the Boggy Creek area of Kissimmee, where then drove to a deserted construction area.
According to the court filing, the people who had carjacked Guerrero De Aguasvivas poured lighter fluid on her, shot her and her vehicle several times and then set her on fire.
The Osceola County Sheriff's Office responded to the fire at 7:13 p.m. and found Guerrero De Aguasvivas dead inside the burning vehicle — investigators say they had to use DNA found at the scene to make the identification.
Thursday's motion asks the court to hold the men without bond, because "no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the appearance of the person as required and the safety of the community."
If convicted, all four could face life in prison or the death penalty.