A Florida teen who was reported missing over two years ago has turned up in North Carolina and is accused of gunning down a “hardworking” FedEx worker, who had just completed a DoorDash delivery.
Gracie Elizabeth Landa, 18, was charged Tuesday with the murder of 23-year-old Christopher Piedrasanta-Perez, who was shot dead in his Honda Accord near Whippoorwill Park in Durham on May 30, according to a warrant obtained by the Raleigh News & Observer.
Landa went missing from Tampa in June 2023 when she was 16 and was listed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
However, nearly a year after her disappearance, officials suspected her to be somewhere in the Durham area, the outlet reported.
Her whereabouts were unknown to the public until she was charged with murder.
Piedrasanta-Perez and two women were sitting in his car near the entrance of the park at around 12:30 a.m. on May 30, when two or three people walked up to his car — raining a hail of bullets into the vehicle before fleeing, the Raleigh News & Observer reported.
The two women in the car with Piedrasanta-Perez were injured in the shooting. Their conditions are unknown.
A 911 call was made shortly after the shooting, prompting first responders to rush to the scene, where they discovered Piedrasanta-Perez dead from a gunshot wound to the head inside his car.
Security footage from a nearby park captured the moment two people were seen emerging from the woods and opening fire.
The trio was at the park that night because a friend had arranged to fight another girl, but as his Honda Accord pulled into the park entrance, the suspects stepped out of the woods and unleashed the barrage of gunfire, according to the warrant.
The warrant states the reason for the fight arose from a dispute over a romantic relationship, but does not detail Landa’s alleged involvement.
However, the victim’s mother told Fox8 that her son had just finished a DoorDash delivery with his girlfriend and was sitting in the car when the onslaught of gunfire started.
“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,” Amalia Perez said.
“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.”
His grieving mother said police informed her that additional suspects remain at large.
She said she has “faith” that the police will bring the other suspects to justice.
His family said the 23-year-old was a graduate of Southern High School, working as a warehouse worker for FedEx, and also worked as a DoorDash delivery driver on the side.
“He was just a fun brother, friend, grandson, and son to be around,” his mother said. “Always with that big smile.”
Piedrasanta-Perez is described as the youngest of two siblings and 10 grandchildren, who was a “Kind soul, respectful, funny, caring, loving, hardworking,” according to a GoFundMe page set up in May.
“Christopher was more than just a son, a brother, a friend, he was a light in our lives. With his calm and cool presence, he had a way of making everyone around him feel safe and seen,” the page reads.
Landa is currently locked up in the Durham County jail and has been denied bond, according to the Durham Sheriff’s Department.
The 18-year-old made her first appearance in Durham County Court on Wednesday morning. She is due back in court on Sept. 11.
