ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — No charges will be filed in connection with the shooting death of a 15-year-old Orange County girl, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
Melanie Medina was found shot to death and dumped by the side of the road April 10 near Orange Blossom Trail.
Ramsys Cruz-Abreu, 22, was charged with being an accessory after the fact in connection with Medina’s shooting death.
The charge was dropped Thursday because the case was not suitable for prosecution, the State Attorney’s Office said.
He still faces a charge of tampering with physical evidence and may face additional charged in the future, the Sheriff's Office said.
Medina's family was distraught by the news that Cruz-Abreu and an unidentified 16-year-old girl will be facing charges in the killing.
"Nobody knows how hard it is to lose a loved one so young," Rosana Valdez said.
Speaking in Spanish, Medina's uncle, Ricardo Gonzalez, said her family will continue to push for charges in the case.
"They're not going to stop until they get justice," Valdez said.
Translating for another uncle, Valdez said he could not understand how prosecutors could call the shooting accidental.
"It's not fair just to say it's accidental," Valdez said.
Medina's uncles plan to protest the decision.
Detectives said Medina was shot multiple times in a car as she, Cruz Abreu and the 16-year-old girl went to buy doughnuts at the Krispy Kreme store across from the Mall at Millenia.
Cruz Abreu told investigators that he heard a loud bang and saw Medina grab her neck and scream, investigators said.
He said he applied pressure to Medina's neck as he drove, but realized that she was dead, deputies said.
Cruz Abreu said he and the teenage girl discussed what to do with Medina's body because the girl said she didn't want anyone to know she had a gun, investigators said. Deputies said the pair agreed to dump Medina's body on Ziegler Road near Orange Blossom Trail.
The 16-year-old admitted to deputies that she shot Medina, officials said.
She will not be charged in connection with the shooting, the Sheriff's Office said.
Breaking--no charges will be filed against a 16 yr old who was in the car with Melanie Medina when she was shot and killed.
— Ty Russell (@TRussellWFTV) April 20, 2017
Breaking--the 22 year old driver charged with accessory will no longer face that charge. He's now been charged with tampering with evidence
— Ty Russell (@TRussellWFTV) April 20, 2017
Orange County investigators have determined the 16 year old who's accused of shooting Melanie Medina was an accident.
— Ty Russell (@TRussellWFTV) April 20, 2017
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