A Seminole County man charged in his mother's murder appeared before a judge Monday afternoon after being extradited back to central Florida from Maryland.
Joshua Ortiz, 20, has been charged with murder. Ortiz will continue to be held in the John Polk Correctional Facility in Sanford with no bond.
The arrest warrant said it all started the afternoon of October 19, when Joshua and his older brother had a fight because Joshua was not eating.
Ortiz's mother Jacqueline and a neighbor helped break-up the fight. That neighbor told investigators Joshua had some scratches on his elbow and knee from the fight.
Then the two older brothers and the neighbor all left.
As she was leaving the neighbor called Jacqueline Ortiz to tell her she saw Joshua crouching near some bushes by the side of the house.
When the victim’s older sons returned a few hours later, they found their mother, bruised and beaten on the kitchen floor. She didn’t have a pulse and wasn’t breathing. An autopsy revealed Jacqueline died of asphyxiation. Deputies noticed purple bruising on her face and a purple line around her neck.
Joshua's brothers immediately suspected he had something to do with her death, and investigators started searching for him and their mother’s missing car.
He was arrested a few days later in Maryland, where police noticed he had several scratch marks on his face, chest and back consistent with a struggle.
According to the neighbor, the 20-year-old did not have those injuries the last time she saw him.
This weekend Joshua was booked into the jail. His public defender said he is currently on suicide watch and being held in a medical ward.
"I know that he had a history of mental health issues," said Jeffrey Dowdy, chief assistant public defender. "I know that he was supposed to be taking medication, however, I do not know if he was on medication at the time of this incident."
Dowdy added that this is standard procedure for anyone charged with murder.
Ortiz will make his next court appearance at his arraignment scheduled for January 6.