ORLANDO, Fla. — A joint investigation between Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Cloud Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Marshals Service has led to a Florida man being charged with carjacking resulting in death.
During a press conference at the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Roger B. Handberg announced the filing of a complaint charging Jordonish Garcia Torres, 28, Orlando. If convicted, Garcia Torres faces a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment.
“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 conduct a thorough methodical, comprehensive, meticulous and unrelenting investigation that will bring justice to the victim and hold everyone accountable who was involved in (Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas’) carjacking and murder,” Handberg said during the press conference. “I’ve committed an unprecedented number of resources to prosecuting violent criminals. My office is dedicated to this mission. It’s a mission that we share with our local state and federal law enforcement partners. They are the backbone of our crime fighting efforts, and we work hand in hand with them every day to identify, arrest and prosecute violent criminals.”
According to the complaint, on April 11, Garcia Torres carjacked a woman at gunpoint in Winter Springs and forced her to drive to Osceola County, where she was shot to death and burned while in her vehicle.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie McNeff and Michael P. Felicetta will prosecute the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: Fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.