ST. PETERSBURG, FL - Authorities said that a man who shot and killed his estranged girlfriend at a cemetery in front of her two children back in 2021 has been taken into custody in Mexico after a TikTok video revealed his whereabouts.
According to Fox News, St. Petersburgh Police Department (SPPD) Chief Anthony Hollaway confirmed that after three and a half years of searching for 41-year-old Benjamin Robert Williams, AKA "Bambi," he is now locked up in the Pinellas County Jail. Police said Williams has been charged with first-degree murder and two counts of child abuse.
In a statement, Hollaway said, "Thanks to the dedication of St. Petersburg Police detectives and the invaluable support of the U.S. Marshals and the ATF, a dangerous criminal was captured, bringing justice to the victim's family. While nothing can restore the life of a beloved daughter and mother to two young children, we hope this offers them some long-overdue peace and closure."
According to police, on July 31, 2021, Williams convinced his estranged girlfriend, Joana Peca, to meet him at a cemetery on 60th Street North in St. Petersburg so that he could see his infant son.
When she arrived, Peca sat in the van while holding their baby. Williams then allegedly shot Peca multiple times in the face and killer her. Peca's other child was in the backseat at the time of the shooting. Thankfully, neither child was physically harmed. Officers responded to the scene around 5:30 p.m. that evening and found Peca dead inside her car.
After the incident, police obtained an arrest warrant for Williams. Investigators from several agencies were also offering a reward of up to $25,000 for any information leading to his arrest. Williams was also featured on the show, "In Pursuit with John Walsh" in 2022, but remained on the run.
Last week, at the end of November, someone watched a TikTok post containing a shared local news story about the shooting. Above the video, the poster wrote, "Manhunt for man who killed girlfriend while holding her 4-month-old baby."
After watching the video, the person contacted SPPD with a tip that Williams was living in Mexico. Investigators then contacted the U.S. Marshals, who were able to taken Williams into custody and return him to the United States. He was picked up from Miami and transported to the Pinellas County Jail where he remains in custody without bond.
According to FOX13, SPPD said that the TikTok video that the unidentified Good Samaritan saw was posted on August 10, 2021, just 10 days after the deadly shooting by Jasmeen Alexander. She said, "The fact that her four-year-old was in the backseat. She was holding her baby. I have a newborn myself, so it just really was like, I really need to get this out there."
Alexander lives in Alabama, but she says the St. Petersburg story caught her eye. So, in 2021, she posted about it on her TikTok page, just like she does for other true crime cases. Alexander has 2.8 million TikTok followers. She said, "When it comes to social media, your video can hit at any point in time."
Detectives contacted her a few days ago and explained that her video helped them solve the case. She said, "It's crazy, unexplainable. But, I mean, it was just mean to happen like that, I guess. You really can't explain it."
Jail records show that Williams has been arrested in Pinellas County nearly 40 times since 2007. He has been charged in the past with drug possession, tampering with evidence, aggravated battery, armed robbery, grand theft, and resisting arrest.
According to Fox News, St. Petersburgh Police Department (SPPD) Chief Anthony Hollaway confirmed that after three and a half years of searching for 41-year-old Benjamin Robert Williams, AKA "Bambi," he is now locked up in the Pinellas County Jail. Police said Williams has been charged with first-degree murder and two counts of child abuse.
In a statement, Hollaway said, "Thanks to the dedication of St. Petersburg Police detectives and the invaluable support of the U.S. Marshals and the ATF, a dangerous criminal was captured, bringing justice to the victim's family. While nothing can restore the life of a beloved daughter and mother to two young children, we hope this offers them some long-overdue peace and closure."
According to police, on July 31, 2021, Williams convinced his estranged girlfriend, Joana Peca, to meet him at a cemetery on 60th Street North in St. Petersburg so that he could see his infant son.
When she arrived, Peca sat in the van while holding their baby. Williams then allegedly shot Peca multiple times in the face and killer her. Peca's other child was in the backseat at the time of the shooting. Thankfully, neither child was physically harmed. Officers responded to the scene around 5:30 p.m. that evening and found Peca dead inside her car.
After the incident, police obtained an arrest warrant for Williams. Investigators from several agencies were also offering a reward of up to $25,000 for any information leading to his arrest. Williams was also featured on the show, "In Pursuit with John Walsh" in 2022, but remained on the run.
Last week, at the end of November, someone watched a TikTok post containing a shared local news story about the shooting. Above the video, the poster wrote, "Manhunt for man who killed girlfriend while holding her 4-month-old baby."
After watching the video, the person contacted SPPD with a tip that Williams was living in Mexico. Investigators then contacted the U.S. Marshals, who were able to taken Williams into custody and return him to the United States. He was picked up from Miami and transported to the Pinellas County Jail where he remains in custody without bond.
According to FOX13, SPPD said that the TikTok video that the unidentified Good Samaritan saw was posted on August 10, 2021, just 10 days after the deadly shooting by Jasmeen Alexander. She said, "The fact that her four-year-old was in the backseat. She was holding her baby. I have a newborn myself, so it just really was like, I really need to get this out there."
Alexander lives in Alabama, but she says the St. Petersburg story caught her eye. So, in 2021, she posted about it on her TikTok page, just like she does for other true crime cases. Alexander has 2.8 million TikTok followers. She said, "When it comes to social media, your video can hit at any point in time."
Detectives contacted her a few days ago and explained that her video helped them solve the case. She said, "It's crazy, unexplainable. But, I mean, it was just mean to happen like that, I guess. You really can't explain it."
Jail records show that Williams has been arrested in Pinellas County nearly 40 times since 2007. He has been charged in the past with drug possession, tampering with evidence, aggravated battery, armed robbery, grand theft, and resisting arrest.
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