Orange Mayor Jacobs suspends county home-confinement program - FOX 35 News Orlando

Mayor Teresa Jacobs suspended Orange County's home-confinement program this morning amid the investigation into the slaying of a witness in an Ocoee home invasion.

Alex Zaldivar was shot dead, execution-style, in the Ocoee home in September 2012. Bessman Okafor, the main suspect in the slaying, was on home confinement when investigators say he shot Zaldivar dead to prevent him from testifying against him in a previous home invasion.

"People will be held accountable," Jacobs said, referring to Okafor's apparent lack of supervision and reports that Okafor had many potential violations that went unreported while on home confinement.

Chief Judge Belvin Perry and Orange Chief of Corrections Michael Tidwell attended Thursday's meeting.

Jacobs said no one has given her a sufficient explanation as to how this happened.  "Looking at the numbers on this particular case, nobody has given me an explanation I am satisfied with," Jacobs said.

Chief Tidwell didn't have much to say about the 109 times Bessman Okafor was gone from his home while on home confinement. "I want to know what the facts are, before I take any responsibility," he said. 

Tidwell continues to head up the jail while two internal investigations -- one federal review and outside consultant -- are being conducted over the jail's inner workings.  In the meantime, there are many lingering questions about how Okafor and others were monitored.

"I am certainly overwhelmed with sorrow for the death of this young man," said Tidwell.

Two others were also shot in the September home-invasion killing but survived.