SANFORD, Fla. — Police in Sanford are investigating the death of a woman who was found inside her home with a zip tie wrapped around her neck.

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It happened at a home near the Orlando Sanford Airport on July 17.

The victim was Joysee Mar Cartagena, a 49-year-old beloved mother and friend who worked for Seminole County Public Schools from 2015-2022.

At Spring Lake Elementary, she was the first face students would see in the morning at the front desk.

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But on July 17, just after 2 p.m., a horrific discovery was made inside her home on Salt Marsh Loop in the Wyndham Preserve Neighborhood.

According to the incident report, Cartagena found unresponsive with a large zip tie around her neck. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

According to the medical examiner, the cause of death is not being released due to the ongoing police investigation.

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Sanford police confirm that Cartagena’s death is being investigated as a homicide.

Police have not said if there are any suspects of persons of interest in the case, but that the investigation is “very active.”

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