A Florida teen was arrested on Monday in the shooting death of a missing pregnant girl last month, according to investigators.
According to Orange County Sheriff John Mina, De’Shayla Ferguson, who turned 16 years old days before the shooting, was found with a gunshot wound to the head.
Ferguson was 20 weeks pregnant when she was murdered.
Lorenzo Larry, 17, has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of the pregnant teen.
In the news: Florida Man Claims $1,000,000 Win On ‘Cash Club’ Scratch-Off Ticket
“He admitted to shooting Jemile but claimed it was self-defense, although he fled the scene, disposed of a gun, and fled to another state. So in those cases where the suspect claims self-defense, we work closely with our state attorney’s office,” Sheriff John Mina said. “We give them our investigative report for them to review so they can make a determination on that case, that was done back in July, and the state attorney’s office has not made a determination in that case as of yet.”
Mina said he expects 17-year-old Larry to be tried as an adult for the deaths of Ferguson and her unborn child.
The sheriff added that the 17-year-old is also a suspect in the 2021 shooting death of Jemile Pittman, 23, who was found with one gunshot to the head in her car.
“We have to acknowledge that someone who amasses this many gun charges and is responsible for the killing of two women and an unborn child needs to be behind bars for a very, very long time,” Mina said.
Visit Tampafp.com for Politics, Sports, and National Headlines. Support journalism by clicking here to our GiveSendGo or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.
Android Users, Click Here To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook Here Or Twitter Here.