On December 13, 2023, a tragic incident occurred at the Yolanda Villas Condominium located at 801 Northwest 47th Avenue in the Flagami area of Miami. Isbelsy Olivera, a 22-year-old woman, and her mother, Irisbel Cartalla, 50, were found shot to death inside their apartment unit.
The shooting happened just after 9 a.m. when the suspect, identified as Carlos Alexander Travieso, 48, who was Isbelsy Olivera's ex-boyfriend, ambushed the women.
According to witnesses and security footage, Travieso waited for a client to leave the unit and then followed another person into the apartment, where he retrieved a concealed firearm and shot both women. The mother, Irisbel Cartalla, was seen being shot at least once by a witness.
After the shooting, Travieso fled the scene in an unknown vehicle but later surrendered to the West Miami Police Department, where he confessed to the crime. During his confession, he stated in Spanish that he had "assassinated" the two women. He was taken into custody and subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder. At a bond court appearance, Travieso was ordered to be held without bond and was appointed a public defender.
The investigation revealed that the women were well-known and respected in their community. Irisbel Cartalla worked as a custodian at the condominium complex, and Isbelsy Olivera gave manicures out of their unit. Neighbors described them as hardworking and very nice, expressing shock and sadness over the tragic event. Cartalla would have celebrated her 51st birthday on the following Saturday, and Olivera would have turned 23 on December 21.
The police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting, particularly how Travieso was able to gain access to the secured apartment complex. The building has a security associate at the front gate, and the investigation is ongoing to determine the details of how he breached this security point.
