Guillermo Olivencia, a 61-year-old Hispanic man, was tragically shot to death on April 26, 2015, outside an auto-parts store in Kissimmee, Florida. The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. when police received reports of gunshots near the Advance Auto Parts store on North Main Street. Upon arrival, officers found Olivencia unresponsive in the driver's seat of his green Saturn, with two gunshot wounds to his head.
The investigation revealed that the shooting was from extremely close range, as evidenced by the two .25-caliber shell casings found behind the driver's seat.
The investigation quickly led to the arrest of two suspects, Jason Simmons, 31, and Jonanthony Santiago, 23. Surveillance video from several businesses around the store showed a car with two men inside parking near the store before the shooting. One of the videos captured a man getting out of the passenger side and walking to the front of the auto-parts store. Although the man walked out of view, the camera's audio picked up two "pops," after which the same man was seen running back to the car.
Santiago identified Simmons as the shooter. According to Santiago, the two men had met Olivencia earlier that day when they went to the Advance Auto Parts store for help fixing their car. During their interaction, Olivencia allegedly made a comment to Simmons, stating that he had been in prison and liked men. Simmons interpreted this as a pass and became upset. Later, Simmons asked Santiago to drive him back to his house to retrieve a gun. They then returned to the store, where Simmons shot Olivencia.
Both Simmons and Santiago were charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. They were held without bond in the Osceola County Jail. The case highlighted the tragic consequences of a misunderstanding and the extreme actions taken in response to perceived advances. The investigation and subsequent arrests brought some closure to the case, but the senseless loss of Guillermo Olivencia's life remains a poignant reminder of the impact of violence.
