Sarasota Police Arrest Man in Apartment Homicide

Police arrested a local man on Sunday for the murder of a woman found unresponsive in a Sarasota apartment. The Sarasota Police Department charged Josue Zepeda-Urbina, 32, with one count of murder and three counts of burglary of an occupied dwelling.

Officers received a call regarding an unresponsive woman at the Applegate Apartments, located at 1500 N. Lockwood Ridge Road, at approximately 4 a.m. Personnel from the Sarasota County Fire Department pronounced the victim dead shortly after 4:30 a.m. Zepeda-Urbina is accused of entering the apartment without permission while other people were present.

Investigators identified Zepeda-Urbina as a suspect with the help of a witness who knew both him and the victim. The police department stated that the suspect and the victim knew each other prior to the incident.

At approximately 5 a.m., the city's Flock automated license plate reader system flagged Zepeda-Urbina's vehicle. Officers stopped the car near the intersection of Beneva Road and Fruitville Road and took him into custody without incident. He is currently held at the Sarasota County Jail without bond.

The investigation remains active. The department asks anyone with information to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 941-263-6070 or Sarasota Crime Stoppers at 941-366-8477.