Deputies arrest man, question teen in girl's death investigation

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - The Orange County Sheriff's Office says 22-year-old Ramsys Cruz Abreu is an accessory to murder, because he allegedly helped dump the body of 15-year-old Melanie Medina on the side of road after a yet-to-be-identified teenage girl shot her Monday night.

"I can't get into what they were doing with the gun at this point, but it's clear to us based on the interviews and the testimony that we have received that the 16-year-old female is the one who actually fired the weapon," said Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings during a news conference on Thursday.

According to Sheriff Demings, the shooting happened in Abreu's car.  A tip, called into Crimeline, led investigators to his apartment, where they found a black Acura with a bullet hole in the windshield and a handgun in the front seat.

"Had that car and that gun and other things been destroyed, it would have held them up much longer in being able to solve the case," explained Crimeline's Barb Bergin.

Medina was an eighth-grader at Corner Lake Middle School. Sheriff's deputies say someone found her body near Ziegler Road in South Orlando on Tuesday morning, more than 20 miles away from the school. School officials confirm the girl's parents pulled her out of school last Thursday, but they're not saying why.

According to court documents, an autopsy revealed that Medina’s death was the result of gunshot wounds and the manner of death was homicide.

Demings said investigators interviewed the 16-year-old twice and she admitted to shooting Medina.
Investigators are still piecing together the relationship between Abreu and the teens.

Demings said the sheriff’s office is working with the state attorney’s office to decide charges against the teen.  Because she is a minor, Demings said he will not identify her until charges are filed.