The man accused of shooting and killing a Puerto Rican evacuee at a motel in Kissimmee will remain in jail.
Leumas Moraza, 38, was denied bail on a murder charge in connection with the death of 43-year-old Maria Santiago-Burgos, who was called "Betsy by loved ones.
The shooting happened about 10:30 p.m. Thursday at a Super 8 Motel on Vine Street.
Friends and family members told Channel 9 reporter Lauren Seabrook that Moraza was not Santiago-Burgos' boyfriend, but he wanted to be.
Police said the suspect called 911 to confess and to surrender.
"I was arguing with my girlfriend, and I shot her," said a caller who identified himself as Leumas Moraza. "I want the police to pick me up. That's it."
The caller said he still had the unloaded gun and was walking toward police headquarters.
"OK. Are you by her at all, sir, or did you leave the location already?" an emergency dispatcher said.
"No, I left the location, because I want to walk to the police department. That's it," the caller said.
"You're doing the right thing by turning yourself in. OK?" the dispatcher said. "I need you to stop somewhere, so I could tell the officers to get you. OK?"
Moraza was charged with unpremeditated murder and aggravated assault, according to the Osceola County Jail’s website.
Santiago-Burgos' grandmother and her two children, ages 10 and 14, witnessed the shooting, witnesses said.
Her 14-year-old son ran to the front desk screaming for help, said Super 8 manager Prerak Patel.
Santiago-Burgos was a survivor of Hurricane Maria and moved to Central Florida with her two children and grandmother.
"They lost everything in Puerto Rico. Their houses, finances, everything. They had to rebuild their life," Patel said.
Santiago-Burgos recently got a new job and was supposed to move into an apartment this weekend.
Vamos4PR brought in counselors for the children, and separate counselors will work with the families that live nearby.
Moraza remains in the Osceola County Jail without bail. He will appear before a judge Saturday morning.
WFTV Channel 9 checked the suspect's criminal background and did not find anything.
Witnesses are asked to call 407-846-3333, or go to the Kissimmee Police Department at 8 N. Stewart Ave. to make a statement.
Seabrook has been reporting on Puerto Rico evacuees who have been staying at the motel for almost a year.
Sen. Victor Torres has been working with the 44 evacuated families at the motel.
Torres said he's working to get the families that live in the same building and heard the gunfire into a new hotel.
"So they won't be constantly reminded of what happened last night," Torres said.
Diana Colon, one of Santiago-Burgos' neighbors, described her through a translator as calm, honest, simple, humble and loving.
"Her kids would play with mine," she said.
Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/MI74EZBH4NB2XCU2PPFD4ICUFE.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/BK7KD3BXRBG5HK4ZSSRS5AUZMM.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/S7B3GPCJLCQ5IXYP2MZLDGYEOM.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/KW4QRLRNBVDIFF6WU7FOYRCEVQ.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/HA33GLVHYZB6XA7N2ID7NKBZV4.jpg)