Jordanish Torres-Garcia, left, seen here in a April 20, 2024, mug shot. Authorities say that is him in the social media picture on the right, wearing the same mask and shirt as a suspect in Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas’ kidnapping and murder. (Images: Seminole County Sheriff’s Office)
Deputies on Friday announced more fallout in a woman’s mysterious kidnapping and murder. They have not charged anyone yet with killing Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas, 31, but they have their eye on a man allegedly linked to the suspect vehicle and who allegedly wore the same mask and outfit that the armed suspect had. That suspect vehicle is also tied to a tow truck driver’s murder, in which more than 100 rounds were fired.
The individual linked to the car, Jordanish Torres-Garcia, 28, is in the Seminole County jail in Florida on an unrelated federal probation violation on a drug case.
Authorities have also arrested a second man, who is believed to have been on a call with Guerrero some time on her fateful drive from the Miami-Dade County city of Homestead to Seminole County. That man, Giovany Joel Crespo Hernandez, 27, is wanted on a drug allegation while his girlfriend, Monicsabel Romero Soto, 27, is in Seminole County jail on a similar case.
To reiterate, no one is charged in Guerrero’s death. Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma did not suggest any homicidal wrongdoing by Hernandez or Soto, but he did voice suspicion toward Torres-Garcia. The 28-year-old’s phone number matched the number of the person who purchased the green Acura some time ago, he said in a press conference on Friday.
“The investigation revealed Torres-Garcia is connected to the green Acura used in the crime,” deputies wrote on Facebook. “In addition, Torres-Garcia’s Facebook profile photo showed him wearing the same mask and outfit as the suspect in the carjacking video.”
Katherine Guerrero, a resident of the Miami-Dade County city, drove up to Seminole County on April 11, deputies said. At one point, a green Acura began plowing into the back of the white Dodge Durango she was driving. When the vehicles stopped at an intersection, a masked suspect, armed with a 10mm gun, stepped out of the Acura and forced their way into the Durango. Authorities believe that this individual forced Guerrero to drive.
Deputies have previously said that just an hour and 45 minutes later, their counterparts in Osceola County got a call for service regarding gunshots and a burning vehicle. They think that the car was the Durango, and though positive identification was pending, the body found at the scene was believed to be Guerrero.
The Acura used in the kidnapping is also linked to a separate homicide, Lemma said. It was towed back on March 19, and the tow truck driver, Juan Luis Cintron Garcia, 39, was shot and killed on April 10, Lemma said. A green vehicle was seen at the area of that crime, the sheriff said. More than 100 rounds were fired, and one of them was a 10mm — the same caliber linked to the Guerrero murder.
Lemma emphasized that Guerrero’s husband and her brother are not charged with any crimes, but said that the men had contacted a childhood friend. This friend was married to an Orange County sheriff’s deputy, Francisco Estrella, according to the sheriff. At their behest, Estrella misused Florida’s DAVID driver’s license database to look up information on a Seminole County detective who contacted them about Guerrero’s disappearance, Lemma said. Then he allegedly called this detective, using a pseudonym — but keeping the same first name — pretended to be an Orange County detective, the sheriff said. Authorities found this call to be strange, and as previously reported, Estrella was arrested.
Meanwhile, the search for Giovany Joel Crespo Hernandez continues.
Giovany Joel Crespo Hernandez (Image: Seminole County Sheriff’s Office)
Authorities said they got probable cause for a search warrant on the residence that he shared with Soto. There, while the couple was out, they discovered fentanyl, money and a gun (not a 10mm and likely unrelated to the homicide), authorities said.
“At the time the search warrant was being executed, Soto accepted a controlled delivery by Homeland Security Investigations containing three kilos of cocaine and was ultimately arrested in Osceola County,” deputies wrote.
Monicsabel Romero Soto (Mug shot: Seminole County Sheriff’s Office)
The sheriff’s office is asking for help to find Hernandez.
From deputies:
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact Crimeline at (800) 423-TIPS (8477) or text to **TIPS (8477), or call the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office at (407) 665-6650. Calls made to Crimeline remain anonymous, and tips that lead to the felony arrest of suspects are eligible for cash rewards of up to $1,000.
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