A Florida man is facing charges in the murder of his live-in girlfriend after he claimed she took her own life when she was found dead in her home last month with a zip around her neck, police say.
Joel Bauza, 50, of Sanford was arrested Thursday and charged with one count of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Joysee Cartagena, 49, the Sanford Police Department said in a statement.
On July 17, at 2:10 p.m., Sanford police responded to a 911 call about a woman found dead in her home in Sanford, which is in the Orlando area, police said.
Sanford Fire and Rescue said they found Cartagena inside her home with a large noose around her neck.
“They tried to save a life; however, Joysee was pronounced dead at the scene,” police said in a statement.
On July 31, police began investigating the incident as a suspicious death and possible homicide, police said in a July 31 statement.
“As is the procedure for unattended and/or suspicious deaths, the Lake County Pathologist has been contacted to conduct an autopsy,” police said in a July 31 statement.
An autopsy determined that the cause of death was manual strangulation, and the manner of death was assessed as homicide.
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“Based on evidence obtained during the investigation, it was determined that Joysee’s live-in boyfriend, Joel Bauza, was responsible for Joysee’s death,” the statement said.
Bauza, Chief Cecil Smith said in a statement, “made efforts during the initial investigation to push this case into a homicide investigation, police said in a July 31 statement. Through the great work of the Lake County Medical Examiner’s Office and our Major Crimes Investigators, either it is clear that Joysee did not take her own life.”
“She was a radiant woman who positively impacted so many lives in this community,” the statement continued. “We are saddened that Bauza’s actions separated her from her loved ones so prematurely. We hope he will now get the justice he deserves.”
Her son told WESH he was devastated when he found out he had lost his mother.
“It was like my body was a piece of glass, it was just cracked, shattered in every way,” Steven Rivera Cartagena told WESH.
Calling his mother his “best friend,” he told Fox 35, “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 kind of felt like I was an orphan. I was like, ‘What do I do?'”
Anyone with information related to this crime is asked to contact the Sanford Police Department or Crimeline at 800 423-TIPS (8477) or visit CrimeLine.org. Calls to Crimeline remain anonymous, and tips to Crimeline that lead to the solving of the murders are eligible for a cash reward of up to $5,000.
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