Orange County teen charged in murder of pregnant 16-year-old girl

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla - A 17-year-old has been charged in the murder of De'Shayla Ferguson — a teen who was found dead in an Orange County driveway — and her unborn child.

Lorenzo Larry was arrested on charges of second-degree murder and the killing of an unborn child by injury to a mother on Monday. 

Ferguson was shot and killed on Oct. 24 and had been missing for nearly two months. She was reported missing on Aug. 12 after she walked out of a Florida Department of Children and Families office. She was scheduled to appear in court the next day.

During a press conference, Orange County Sheriff's Deputy John Mina said Larry has a history with law enforcement including a slew of gun charges. In 2021, Larry was involved in a homicide investigation after a 23-year-old was found dead in a car. 

Larry was named a suspect in the case but claimed self-defense. The state attorney's office is still investigating the case, Mina said. 

Mina also debunked previous reports that Ferguson was involved in a human trafficking case.

Larry is being held at the Orange County Juvenile Assessment Center.