In June 2023, 16-year-old Gracie Elizabeth Landa disappeared from her Tampa, Florida, home and was listed in the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s database.

Two years later, she has resurfaced—this time as a murder suspect in North Carolina.

Arrest in Durham Shooting

Now 18, Landa was arrested Monday in Durham and charged in connection with the death of 23-year-old Christopher Piedrasanta-Perez.

Authorities say Piedrasanta-Perez had just finished a DoorDash delivery with his girlfriend when he was shot and killed in his car near Whippoorwill Park on May 30. Two women with him were also injured.

Details of the Attack

Police reports indicate that two or three people opened fire on the vehicle, unleashing more than 40 rounds from multiple weapons. An autopsy confirmed that Piedrasanta-Perez died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Investigators have not clarified whether Landa was among the shooters or played another role in the attack.

Family in Mourning

Piedrasanta-Perez’s mother, Amalia Perez, described her son as hardworking and family-oriented. A graduate of Southern High School, he worked at FedEx and took DoorDash jobs to help support his family.

“He was not out there looking for trouble. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” she told local reporters.

On a GoFundMe page, family members remembered him as “respectful, funny, caring, loving, hardworking,” and the first of 10 grandchildren.

What’s Next

Authorities say other suspects remain at large. Landa is being held at the Durham County jail without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 11.

For more on this story, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.