Tow truck driver killed in Taft shooting described as friendly family man
ORLANDO, Fla. - A tow truck driver who was killed in a deadly shooting last week is being remembered by family and friends.
Juan Luis Cintron Garcia, 39, has been described as a beloved husband, father, son, brother, and uncle. A service for Garcia's family and close friends is being held on Wednesday at the Good Life Funeral Home in Orlando. Loved ones said he leaves behind a legacy of "kindness," "love," and "passion." A GoFundMe page has been established to assist the family with expenses.
RELATED: Man shot, killed in Orange County's Taft neighborhood: deputies
The Orange County Sheriff's Office said Garcia was shot on Wednesday, April 10, shortly before 10 p.m. on 8th Ave. in the Taft neighborhood. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he died.
Deputies continue to search for the person or people responsible for Garcia's murder.
"I would wake up every morning and go for my jog; he would always be the first to say hello," said Shirley Montana, a neighbor.
Juan Garcia
Montana lived on the same street in the Taft neighborhood where Garcia was killed.
"He would even help me with my garbage cans, always pull them back inside for me when I wasn't home. We would always compare our cars and complement each other's cars," she said.
Montana said she was stunned that something like this could happen so close to home.
"It's frightening, honestly, to know the suspect is still on the loose," she said. "I never thought that something like this could happen here."
Man killed in shooting in Orange County's Taft community
A man was killed in a shooting in the Taft neighborhood of Orange County on Wednesday night, according to deputies. Shortly before 10 p.m., deputies responded to the 9600 block of 8th Avenue regarding a shooting and found a man who had been shot. He was rushed to a local hospital where he died, officials said. He was reportedly in his 30s.
Detectives said multiple rounds were fired at the scene of Garcia's murder, and evidence gathered on location has led law enforcement to investigate a possible connection to the kidnapping and murder of a South Florida woman, Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas, 39, of Homestead.
Guerrero De Aguasvivas was kidnapped during a brazen afternoon carjacking a day after Garcia's murder, authorities said. A green Acura seen in footage of the armed carjacking from Thursday, April 11, in Winter Springs, was located on Saturday. According to Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma, that car had been towed by Garcia from an apartment complex in Orange County on March 19 for being illegally parked.
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"We can confirm that we believe the deadly shooting in Taft on April 10 could be related to the deadly carjacking out of Seminole County," a spokesperson for the Orange County Sheriff's Office told FOX 35 News. "Our detectives are working tirelessly in partnership with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office to solve these cases and bring the perpetrators to justice."
Seminole County Sheriff update on Winter Springs carjacking
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma provides update on a Florida woman who was carjacked in Winter Springs, and whose vehicle was found on fire in Osceola County. Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas, 31, is believed to have been found dead inside the vehicle. It’s been declared a homicide investigation. Here is the full press conference.
Authorities believe Garcia's shooting was a targeted attack.
"At that scene, a green vehicle matching a description of this green vehicle was located, and more than 100 rounds were fired at that location; one of the rounds found at the scene was 10mm rounds," said Sheriff Lemma. "I absolutely think they're connected, but we'll have physical evidence that absolutely proves that."
Aguasvivas's vehicle, a 2017 white Dodge Durango, was found burned in Osceola County with a body inside that has still not been confirmed to be hers by the Medical Examiner's Office. Despite the lack of identification, she is believed to be dead, and Lemma said she was "targeted" by the suspects who carjacked her.