Shocking twist in carjacking of South Florida woman leads to arrest of deputy

The horrific saga of a South Florida woman carjacked at gunpoint in Winter Springs last week and later found dead took a bizarre turn Monday when Seminole authorities linked the case to the recent arrest of an Orange County deputy and the brutal death of a tow truck driver, who was shot at least 100 times.

Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said Monday that investigators are still searching for the people involved in the April 11 carjacking of Katherine Guerrero De Aguasvivas, 31, of Homestead. Her body was found late Thursday in Osceola County, inside the scorched remains of the white Dodge Durango she was driving when an armed, masked man kidnapped her in broad daylight at a busy intersection.

But one, unexpected arrest was announced Monday: that of Orange County Deputy Francisco Estrella, 33, who apparently leaked confidential information about the carjacking case and its key players to De Aguasvivas’ husband, Miguel. Neither Estrella nor Miguel Aguasvivas is thought to be linked to the carjacking itself, but Estrella faces multiple charges related to the leaks. He bonded out of jail and has been suspended without pay while his case proceeds in court.

“When you look at this thing, it’s right out of a television show,” Lemma said.

Lemma also revealed an earlier chapter in the twisted tale, which commenced on March 19 when a green, 2002 Acura sedan — the very same vehicle later used in the carjacking of Katherine Guerrero De Aguasvivas — was towed from an Orlando apartment complex for being illegally parked. The car lacked a tag or ownership title. It is not clear how the car made its way from that towing incident into the hands of the suspects.

But on April 10, the green Acura or a car matching its description showed up again, Lemma said, leaving the scene of the shooting of tow truck driver Juan Luis Citron Garcia on the 9600 block of 8th Avenue near the Orlando International Airport. Cintron Garcia was found surrounded by 100 casings, many of them 10mm ammunition.

A day later, De Aguasvivas was kidnapped at gunpoint at the intersection of East Lake Drive and Tuskawilla Road in Winter Springs. She had driven early that day from Homestead, reportedly to visit family in the area.

Law enforcement officials have said they believe the green Acura followed the Durango purposely, though they have not publicly speculated why, or said for how long it followed the SUV.

Then on April 13, the green Acura was found illegally parked again, and was towed from an Orange County apartment complex. Investigators with Orange County Sheriff’s Office took possession of the vehicle after linking its identification number to when the car was previously towed, according to Lemma.

“We still have incredibly dangerous people out in the streets,” Lemma said during the afternoon press conference. “They should be perceived as armed and dangerous.”

Law enforcement officials are even more perplexed about the role of one of their own in the case.

According to an affidavit, Estrella twice called the lead Seminole detective on the carjacking case, using the alias “Francisco Archuela.” Estrella apparently decided to become involved because his wife was a childhood friend of Miguel Aguasvivas.

Estrella recorded the conversations with the detective and sent them to Miguel Aguasvivas along with a photograph from the detective’s driver’s license profile.

Suspecting something was not right, the detective confirmed Estrella’s true identity by checking the phone extension from which “Archuela” was calling. That led to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, who hired him in 2022. A search of Miguel Aguasvivas’ phone — which he allowed — revealed the recordings and the photograph, and deputies obtained a warrant for Estrella’s arrest.

“If he didn’t release the phone, I don’t know if we would ever know this,” Lemma said.

Estrella turned himself in to the John E. Polk Correctional Facility and was charged with illegal interception of communications, illegal disclosure of communications, disclosure of confidential criminal justice information, among other crimes.

In a statement, Sheriff John Mina said his deputy was accused of “very serious allegations.”

“It is completely unacceptable for any law enforcement officer to misuse the power and authority of their job,” Mina said. “At the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, we hold our deputies to the highest ethical standards, and we will not tolerate anyone breaking the law within our ranks.”

Lemma told reporters the deputy’s actions had no effect on his agency’s investigation but questioned Aguasvivas’ motivation to get the information.

Before his wife was kidnapped, Lemma said she called Aguasvivas to tell him she was being followed. Aguasvivas told her not to leave the car but did not report the pursuit nor her disappearance to authorities.

Though Aguasvivas is not considered a suspect or a person of interest, Lemma said he found it strange that Aguasvivas did not call 911 if he believed his wife was in danger.

“I think that there’s a lot of blanks that he can help fill in about the circumstances involving this particular crime and, now, potentially other crimes,” Lemma said.