Florida
TIMELINE: Here’s what we know about woman carjacked in broad daylight near Winter Springs
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office is now investigating a homicide after they believe they found the body of a woman who was carjacked at gunpoint.
Video of an armed gunman approaching her vehicle last Thursday was taken an hour and 45 minutes before deputies found a body in a burning car in Osceola County.
As the investigation continues, there are many questions about what happened and why.
Below is the timeline of events on April 11.
12 p.m.
Sheriff Dennis Lemma said Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas left Homestead just after noon and started driving to Seminole County. Her vehicle was seen driving northbound through Jupiter during her trip.
3:30-4:00 p.m.
Aguasvivas arrives in Seminole County on Interstate 4, according to the sheriff’s office. She stopped to pump gas at a Shell station located just south of State Road 436 and U.S. Highway 17-92 and stayed for approximately eight minutes. Deputies said she left there and drove through Casselberry on Button Road, and continued to drive on back roads until she arrived in the Winter Springs area.
About a half mile before the intersection of East Lake Drive and Tuskawilla Road, Sheriff Lemma says Aguasvivas noticed a green Acura was behind her before it rammed into her vehicle. At that time, her husband told deputies she called him and told him what happened.
“She picked up the phone and called her husband, told her husband that she was being rammed, that there was somebody there that was following her,” Sheriff Lemma said. “The husband provided her with the advice: Don’t stop, don’t stop anywhere.”
Law enforcement is not aware of any reports that Aguasvivas or her husband called 911 for help.
BEFORE 6 p.m.
A witness driving behind Aguasvivas’ white Dodge Durango saw the armed carjacking and recorded cell phone video of the event. It shows a masked man approaching the driver’s window and pointing a gun at her. He then gets into the back seat while the vehicle is still stopped at a red light.
Deputies believe the suspect had gotten out of the green Acura that was following Aguasvivas, Sheriff Lemma said Friday.
Both cars are seen on camera making a U-turn at the intersection.
Lemma said a passenger in the witness’s car called 911 to notify law enforcement.
Detectives suspect Aguasvivas was ordered at gunpoint to turn around again and head southbound on Tuskawilla Road toward the Seminole/Orange County line to Aloma Ave.
“Once they get to Aloma, they make a left. They go all the way across all lanes of traffic so they can get on State Road 417 southbound,” Lemma said. “They drive southbound on 417, likely getting off at the Narcoossee Road exit. They travel the back roads, ultimately turning off onto Boggy Creek Road in Osceola County.”
APPROXIMATELY 7 p.m.
Witnesses in Osceola County reported hearing gunshots and seeing smoke from a vehicle fire. Lemma said the car was badly damaged, and a body was found inside it. Authorities believe it is Aguasvivas.
They also found shell casings from a gun on the ground, investigators said Friday.
Detectives are working to find out when the suspects in the green Acura started trailing Aguasvivas and why she was in Seminole County.
Sheriff Lemma said this was not a random incident, and he believes the suspects knew exactly who they were following. Why they targeted Aguasvivas is still unclear.
“There’s a lot of unknowns, a lot of things that will leave people scratching their head, and I think the biggest is why?” Lemma said. “This isn’t a random incident. They were ramming the car half a mile before that intersection.”
Lemma told News 6 Aguasvivas spent less than an hour in Seminole County, and his deputies have no knowledge of her or the suspects living, doing business, or being in the county prior to this incident.
Her husband told deputies she was here to visit family, according to the sheriff’s office. Lemma said they have not been able to find any relatives in the area so far.
“There’s no criminal history here for either Katherine or her husband in the United States. There is no clear indicator why somebody would do this,” Lemma said.
Aguasvivas and her husband have two businesses, a barber shop and beauty salon, in South Florida, according to the sheriff’s office.
The investigation is ongoing, and the suspects and green Acura are still out there.
“We’re incredibly concerned about that Acura,” said Sheriff Lemma. “Both occupants should be considered armed and dangerous.”
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Florida
Snowcat Ridge returns with Florida’s winter wonderland for holiday season
DADE CITY, Fla. – Looking for a winter wonderland that isn’t too far from home? Snowcat Ridge in Dade City officially opens for the season on Friday.
Despite the state’s tropical landscape, Snowcat Ridge brings a unique alpine snow park and gives visitors a chance to experience snow and winter activities without leaving Florida.
The park’s centerpiece is a massive 60-foot-tall snow tubing hill with runs extending up to 400 feet, where families can zoom down on tubes while surrounded by snow.
READ: Top destinations people dream of traveling to for the holidays
“So this year, what we really wanted to do was focus on what people said they enjoy most—the Christmas aspects of the park. So I said, ‘okay, let’s really do the Christmas thing,’” said Winston McDaniel with Snowcat Ridge.
Guests can also build snowmen, create snow angels and engage in snowball play inside the park’s 10,000-square-foot Arctic Igloo. The facility also has cutting edge snow-making technology to maintain snowy conditions.
There’s also a cozy lodge for guests to grab hot chocolate and winter treats.
“It’s just about really doubling down on what it means to spend family time here at Christmas,” said McDaniel.
MORE: After 112 years, ‘Operation Santa’ still accepting letters
In the evening, the slopes at Snowcat Ridge transform into a colorful LED light display, illuminating the snow and creating an unforgettable atmosphere for guests.
For more information on the park and its hours of operation, visit snowcatridge.com.
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Florida
Florida man charged with plotting to bomb New York Stock Exchange
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Florida
‘I feel like Bin Laden,’ Florida man arrested by FBI for planning to bomb NYSE to 'reboot' US government
A Florida man has been arrested and charged in connection with a plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange in an effort to “reboot” the US government, according to the FBI.
Harun Abdul-Malik Yener, 30, from Coral Springs, Florida, was charged with attempting to use an explosive device to damage or destroy a building involved in interstate commerce.
The FBI began investigating Yener in February after receiving a tip that he was storing materials related to bomb-making in a storage unit. Agents searched the area after obtaining a search warrant. They found “bomb-making sketches, numerous watches with timers electronic circuit boards and other electronics that can be utilised to build bombs.
According to the FBI, Yener had also been conducting online searches about bomb-making since 2017.
In March, Yener admitted to authorities during questioning that he had knowledge of making “rockets” and “bombs” and had previously tried to join a “domestic extremist group.” He also revealed that in 2015, he had considered travelling to Iraq to join ISIS but ultimately decided against it because he doubted the group’s ability to meet its objectives.
Yener allegedly told undercover FBI agents that he planned to detonate the bomb during the week before Thanksgiving, targeting the New York Stock Exchange in lower Manhattan. Court documents state that his goal was to “reboot” the US government.
‘I feel like Bin Laden’
“There is one place that would be hella easy… the stock exchange, that would be a great hit. Tons of people would support it. They would see it and think dude, this guy makes sense, they are [profanity] robbing us. So that’s perfect,” he told the agent.
“I feel like Bin Laden,” he told the undercover agent.
Weeks before his arrest, Yener had modified two-way radios to function as remote triggers for explosives. He also planned to wear a disguise while planting the device, according to court filings.
Yener appeared in court on Wednesday afternoon, where it was decided he would remain in custody while awaiting trial.
(With inputs from agencies)
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