SANFORD, FLORIDA: Florida man Joel Bauza was arrested on Thursday, August 31, for the murder of Joysee Cartagena Clemente, 49, who was found strangled to death with a zip-tie in her Sanford home.
Clemente's employer called 911 on July 17 when she didn't show up for work, which was highly unusual for her.
Clemente's ex-boyfriend, Bauza, was arrested in connection with her death. He initially told the police that Clemente died by suicide, as reported by WESH.
Who was Joysee Cartagena Clemente?
Clemente was a mother, who worked as a clerk at Lawton Elementary School in Oviedo. Previously, she worked as a secretary at Spring Lake Elementary School in Altamonte Springs for Seminole County Public Schools.
Her son, Steven Rivera Cartagena, shared with Fox News that his mother was his "personal best friend."
"My mom was my world to me. That’s all I knew, and that’s all I wanted to know. Losing her, it just kind of made me feel like I was an orphan in a way. I was like, 'What do I do?'" he said.
On Thursday, August 31, the Sanford Police Department said in a statement on Facebook, "On July 17, 2023, at 2:10 p.m., Sanford Police received a 911 call reporting that the caller found Joysee Cartagena, deceased, at her home located in the 3000 block of Saltmarsh Loop."
How did Joysee Cartagena Clemente die?
The Sanford Police Department's press release stated that they found Clemente in July in her home with a large zip tie around her neck. Emergency personnel tried to save her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A subsequent autopsy conducted by the Lake County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that Clemente had been strangled, leading investigators to classify her death as a homicide.
"Bauza made efforts during the initial investigation to push this case towards a suicide investigation," Police Chief Cecil Smith said in the release.
"Through the great work of the Lake County Medical Examiner’s Office and our Major Crimes Investigators, it was clear that Joysee didn’t take her own life," the release noted.
"She was a radiant woman who made a positive impact on so many lives in this community,” Smith added. “We are saddened that Bauza’s actions took her from loved ones so prematurely. We hope he will now receive the justice he deserves."
What is Joel Bauza charged with?
Joel Bauza is facing a first-degree homicide charge and is currently in prison without bail.
