An 18-year-old Florida teen, Gracie Elizabeth Landa, is charged with the murder of 23-year-old Christopher Piedrasanta-Perez, which occurred in North Carolina. Shockingly, Landa had been missing for two years before her arrest.
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As reported by the Raleigh News & Observer, Landa was reported missing back in June 2023. She had vanished from her Tampa home, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children stated in 2024 that she had fled to Durham, North Carolina.
For more than two years, Landa was nowhere to be found. However, it all changed on Monday, August 18, when she was arrested for the May 2025 murder of Piedrasanta-Perez.
As per the outlet, the incident occurred on May 30 in the Braggtown area. At around 12:30 a.m., Piedrasanta-Perez and two female friends were sitting in a car on Rowemont Drive, near Whippoorwill Park.
Fatal Shooting
However, at one moment, two to three people appeared, one of them believed to be Landa. Then, shots were fired into the car, and the suspects fled the scene, police said. An autopsy revealed that Piedrasanta-Perez died of a gunshot wound to the head.
According to a search warrant obtained by the outlet, Piedrasanta-Perez and the two women were at the scene because one of their friends was to fight another girl, reportedly over a romantic relationship.
However, as reported by Fox 8, Piedrasanta-Perez’s mother told the outlet that her son had parked at Whippoorwill Park after delivering a DoorDash order.
“He was my first baby,” the mother 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.”
Gracie Elizabeth Landa was charged with murder and is currently being held at Durham County Jail without bond. Her next court appearance is scheduled on September 11.
A GoFundMe set up for Piedrasanta-Perez described him as a “kind soul” and a “good kid.”
“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 fundraiser read. “Our family is devastated by this loss.”