On March 24, 2019, 31-year-old Leandro Lopez was fatally shot in a parking garage located in the 7300 block of Northwest 36th Street in west Miami-Dade County. Surveillance footage captured the incident, showing Lopez and 29-year-old David Paneque arriving together at the rooftop of the parking garage. The video depicts Paneque confronting Lopez, who appears to plead for his life before being shot multiple times at close range.
After the shooting, Paneque is seen removing an item from Lopez's body before fleeing the scene.
Authorities arrested Paneque on April 3, 2019, charging him with first-degree murder, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm by a violent career criminal. During police interrogation, when confronted with the surveillance footage, Paneque invoked his right to remain silent and requested an attorney. He has since pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Paneque's criminal history includes a 2008 conviction for attempted murder and armed robbery, for which he served nearly a decade in prison. Upon his release in 2017, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took him into custody and ordered his deportation to Cuba. However, due to Cuba's reluctance to accept deported citizens, Paneque was released under an order of supervision, requiring regular reporting to ICE.
The motive behind Lopez's killing remains unclear. Family members have stated that Lopez and Paneque were not friends, and they are uncertain why the two were together that day. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in this case, following a grand jury's indictment of Paneque for first-degree murder. Lopez's family continues to mourn his loss, remembering him as a beloved individual and a devoted father to his young son.
