SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A man arrested in Puerto Rico on federal drug and gun charges may be the driver of the green Acura used in the deadly carjacking near Winter Springs, according to Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma.
At a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, Lemma said that 28-year-old Kevin Ocasio Justiniano, who goes by the street name “Kevo,” was arrested on Monday.
The sheriff’s office said in a news release that both Ocasio Justiniano and Jordanish Torres-Garcia are being referred to the U.S. Attorney and are expected to be charged federally with carjacking resulting in death.
“Kevo came to our attention in the early stages of this investigation after we saw a red Toyota Corolla at the same apartment complex where our green Acura was dropped off,” Lemma said. “This is the apartment complex where that green Acura was towed away.”
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Lemma said video surveillance captured the license plate of the red Toyota Corolla, which was registered to a relative of Ocasio Justiniano.
“The red Corolla was seen picking up the occupants of the green Acura after what appeared to be the occupants cleaning that Acura up, wiping it down, doing other things,” Lemma said. “We believe that it was Kevo driving that Toyota Corolla.”
According to the sheriff, investigative records also put Justiniano at the carjacking scene with Torres-Garcia. Lemma said that Torres-Garcia’s cellphone placed him at the scene of the carjacking
“It is likely, more likely than not, and I believe it’s Kevo driving the green Acura and Jordan holding the gun at the window committing the kidnapping,” Lemma said.
Torres-Garcia’s Facebook profile picture shows him wearing the same sweatshirt as the masked gunman during the carjacking, according to Lemma. He was taken to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office for questioning Friday. He is being held in custody because he was wanted on gun charges out of Puerto Rico.
Ocasio Justiniano was arrested in Puerto Rico by U.S. Marshals on unrelated federal charges of possession of an automatic weapon and drug trafficking, according to officials. Ocasio Justiniano will be extradited to Central Florida to face those charges at the Middle District of Florida, Lemma said.
Also on Monday, Giovany Crespo Hernandez, 27, was arrested on drug charges. The Seminole County sheriff identified him last Friday. Lemma said detectives believe Crespo Hernandez was the last person to speak with Aguasvivas before she was carjacked and killed.
Lemma also noted that they do not know how many people were inside of the Acura and more details could be released as the investigation continues.
“Everyone who’s watched this has known it’s about drugs and money,” Lemma said. “Clearly, there’s a drug and money nexus here.”
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