5 arrested after fingerprint connects them to Florida man's murder in St. Cloud: sheriff

ST. CLOUD, Fla. - Five people have been arrested in connection to a man's murder in St. Cloud back in October, according to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office. 

During a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Sheriff Marcos Lopez told reporters a single fingerprint found while collecting evidence at the crime scene led to the arrest of one woman and four men.

The fingerprint, which was found on the victim's car door, belonged to the accused gunman, Lopez said.  

On Oct. 11, deputies responded to a mobile home on Henry J Avenue after the victim's girlfriend found him dead and lying in a pool of blood, authorities said. The victim, later identified as Alexis Vargas-Algarin, had been shot four times, including one time in the face, the sheriff's office said.

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The trailer had been broken into and a sledgehammer that the girlfriend had never seen before was left at the scene.

Authorities learned the fingerprint belonged to 34-year-old Carlos Luis Lopez-Bayona, who initially denied knowing the victim. During a conversation with a detective, however, he mentioned that his girlfriend, Belky Vanessa Chavarria, had asked him to work on Vargas-Algarin's car, which investigators said is when he left the fingerprint. 

Pictured: Alexis Vargas-Algarin, victim (Photo via Osceola County Sheriff's Office)

Investigators spoke with Chavarria, who said she knew about the murder and said the victim was her friend. After several interviews, Lopez said she ultimately told investigators a version of what took place and gave the names of the other suspects – Jose Martinez, Joshua Valle-Martinez and Gelson Perez-Garcia – and the roles they reportedly played.

"She’s the one we think was the leader, orchestrator of everything," Lopez said. They were going to go there to rob him, and she had a whole team with her."

Deputies said they forced themselves inside with a sledgehammer. Investigators said, the suspects stole around $700 and split it.

At some point, authorities said Lopez-Bayona told the victim to get on his knees, before shooting him four times. He later confessed to shooting the victim, stating he thought the victim was going to kill him, so he had to kill him first, Lopez said. 

While four of the suspects face felony murder and home invasion robbery charges, Lopez-Bayona faces premeditated first degree murder and home invasion robbery charges, the sheriff's office said.