A TikTok video led to the arrest of Benjamin “Bambi” Williams, a Florida man wanted for over three years in connection with the murder of his estranged girlfriend, Joana Peca, in 2021.
Williams, 41, was taken into custody on Saturday, November 30, and charged with first-degree murder and two counts of child abuse after being tracked down with the help of a tip from a social media user.
Peca, 27, was fatally shot on July 31, 2021, in a shocking act of violence at Woodlawn Memory Gardens cemetery in St. Petersburg.
According to authorities, Williams lured Peca to the cemetery under the false pretense of meeting their 4-month-old son.
Once she arrived, Peca was sitting in her van, holding the baby, when Williams shot her multiple times in the face. Peca’s other child, who was in the backseat of the van, fortunately, was unharmed.
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Williams fled the scene and had been on the run ever since, even being featured on the TV show In Pursuit with John Walsh in 2022. A $25,000 reward had been offered for any information leading to his arrest.
The breakthrough came when a good Samaritan saw a post on TikTok about the case, which mentioned that Williams might be hiding out in Mexico.
The tip was passed along to authorities, who were able to track him down. The U.S. Marshals Service brought Williams back to Florida, where he is currently being held at the Pinellas County Jail.
Joana Peca’s mother, Eleni Peca, spoke emotionally at a press conference, expressing relief over the arrest.
“Three years and three months is too long,” she said. “He was running, but he couldn’t hide anymore.” She also poignantly shared her grief, noting that instead of planning a wedding for her daughter, she had to bury her.
It remains unclear whether Williams has entered a plea or retained an attorney.