Woman found with zip tie around neck inside Sanford home was former school employee, district says

SANFORD, Fla. - The Sanford Police Department said a 49-year-old woman was found unconscious with a large zip tie tied around her neck, and she later died. 

Joysee Cartagena Clemente was located by police officers on the afternoon of July 17 inside a home on Saltmarsh Loop. Sanford Fire Rescue arrived to provide medical care, but the woman died. 

A spokesperson for Seminole County Public Schools confirmed to FOX 35 News that the woman was employed with the district between 2015 and 2022 and served as a secretary at Spring Lake Elementary School in Altamonte Springs and as a clerk at Lawton Elementary School, in Oviedo. 

FOX 35 News spoke with the victim's son, Steven Rivera Cartagena, who described his mother as a "personal best friend."

Joysee Cartagena Clemente [Photo Credit: Steven Rivera Cartagena]

"My mom was my world to me. That's all I knew, and that's all I wanted to know," he said. "Losing her, it just kind of made me feel like I was an orphan in a way. I was like, 'What do I do?'"

Authorities are investigating the death as a homicide and said a person of interest has been identified but not yet named. 

"I want justice for my mother, through and through," he added. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sanford Police Department or Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477).