When a Florida teenager vanished from her Florida home in the summer of 2023, her name was added to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s database.
For two years, 16-year-old Gracie Elizabeth Landa’s disappearance was a mystery.
Now, she has resurfaced hundreds of miles away from her Tampa home – as a murder suspect.
Landa, now 18, was arrested in Durham, North Carolina, Monday, and charged with the killing of 23-year-old Christopher Piedrasanta-Perez.
Authorities say Piedrasanta-Perez had just completed a DoorDash delivery with his girlfriend when he was gunned down inside his Honda Accord near Whippoorwill Park on May 30.
According to an arrest warrant obtained by The News & Observer, Piedrasanta-Perez was sitting in the car with two friends when two or three people approached and opened fire.
More than 40 shell casings, including from a 9mm and a .223 rifle, were recovered at the scene. His autopsy states that he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
The victims were reportedly at the park because a friend had arranged a fight with another girl in a dispute over a romantic relationship.
Security footage captured two people emerging from the woods and firing into the vehicle before fleeing. Authorities have not revealed whether Landa was inside the car or one of the shooters, nor have they detailed her alleged role in the attack.
Two women with Piedrasanta-Perez were also injured. In one 911 call obtained by The News & Observer, a victim said she had been shot “at least 10 times.”
The victim’s mother, Amalia Perez, told FOX8 her son had just finished a delivery when the gunfire erupted.
“He was not out there looking for trouble. I really don’t know why this happened. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” she said.
Perez described her son as a hardworking young man who graduated from Southern High School, worked at a FedEx warehouse, and picked up DoorDash orders on the side.
“Since everything happened, there’s not been a day where I don’t go see his grave. We’re always there. It’s just been so hard, we haven’t stopped going to see him,” she told CBS 17.
On a GoFundMe page set up by family members, Piedrasanta-Perez was remembered as “respectful, funny, caring, loving, hardworking.” The tribute described him as the first of 10 grandchildren and “a light in our lives.”
“His presence brought light and comfort to the family, had a sense of humor like no other, and now his absence has left a hole in our hearts,” the page reads.
Perez said her son was “my first baby,” adding, “He was just a fun brother, friend, grandson, and son to be around. Always with that big smile.”
Authorities confirmed that other suspects remain at large, but additional details have not been released. Perez said she has “faith” that police will bring them to justice.
Landa is now being held in the Durham County jail without bond.
She is scheduled to return to court on September 11.
