A Florida man accused of fatally shooting his estranged girlfriend in a cemetery while she held their infant son has been apprehended in Mexico, nearly three and a half years after the tragic incident. The arrest was facilitated by a tip generated from a TikTok video featuring a news story about the unsolved murder.
Benjamin Robert Williams, 41, faces charges of first-degree murder and two counts of child abuse. St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Hollaway confirmed Williams' arrest, expressing relief that the victim's family might finally find some closure. The victim, Joana Peca, was shot multiple times on July 31, 2021, while her other child was also present in the vehicle. Thankfully, neither child was physically injured during the horrific event.
Despite a $25,000 reward and a feature on the television show "In Pursuit with John Walsh," Williams evaded capture for years. The breakthrough came when a TikTok user, after seeing a news report about the case on the platform, contacted St. Petersburg authorities with information about Williams' whereabouts in Mexico. This tip enabled the U.S. Marshals Service to locate and detain Williams, subsequently extraditing him back to the United States.
Williams is currently held without bond in the Pinellas County Jail. His extensive criminal history, including approximately 40 arrests since 2007 for various offenses ranging from drug possession to armed robbery, has also come to light.
