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4th suspect in deadly carjacking in court
One of the defendants in the investigation into the carjacking and killing of Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas was in court Friday. Guerrero De Aguasvivas was killed during a violent carjacking and kidnapping in Winter Springs, authorities said.
ORLANDO, Fla. - One of the defendants in the investigation into the carjacking and killing of Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas was in court Friday. Guerrero De Aguasvivas was killed during a violent carjacking and kidnapping in Winter Springs, authorities said.
There was some back and forth between the prosecution and the defense, mainly over what each side felt was provable and what wasn’t.
Here’s what both sides agree on: Dereck Alexis Rodriguez Bonilla was at Boggy Creek when Aguasvivas was killed, and 45 minutes later, he showed up where her car was dumped in Kissimmee.
The prosecution said he was there delivering the murder weapon. Bonilla claims he was at Boggy Creek to lend a friend $80 and that he was there in Kissimmee to get repaid.
He and the others involved were all wearing ski masks through these meetings. Bonilla said that’s because they were about to go ride dirt bikes. His attorney, Charles Green, agreed that the prosecution seemed to imply that Bonilla was lying about his role there.
"I can't wait till I can tell the whole story because they're telling little pieces of it," Green said.
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There’s some disagreement over what Bonilla was doing the day before when tow truck driver Juan Luis Cintron-Garcia was killed in Taft.
Bonilla said he was at home on his PlayStation all day, but FBI Special Agent Bryan Wilson said Bonilla’s cell phone records refute that. Investigators said cell records also show at the time of that murder, Bonilla had turned his phone off, as did some of the other defendants in this case.
"This is a horrendous thing, and the people that did it should answer for it," Green said. "I just haven't seen anything that would tie my client to it beyond a reasonable doubt."
In trying to convince a judge to let him out on bond, the defense argued Bonilla has been in Orlando for 10 years, his family is all in Central Florida, and he doesn’t even own a passport.
His mother, sister, and fiancé were all present in court. They offered to cover his bail. His mom even offered her house as collateral.
However, the judge ultimately decided the nature of the crime was so heinous that he couldn’t guarantee the public’s safety if Bonilla was let out.
Green spoke with Bonilla’s family after they learned he’d be staying in jail during the trial.
"Obviously [they’re] traumatized by having a fiancé, a brother, a son, charged with something of this nature and facing not just life in prison. This minimum is mandatory life in prison or death. Neither one of those is a good option."
Rodriguez Bonilla is back in court for a status hearing on July 18.