PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WIAT) — The Bay County Sheriff’s Office arrested three people from Birmingham in connection to a home invasion robbery in Panama City Beach on Saturday.
According to the BCSO, Viridiana Magdalena Zambrano, 22, arrived at the home at about 10 a.m. and convinced her friend to come with her. That left the woman’s teenager and two children under 12 inside the house. About 15 minutes later, two men entered into the home through a backdoor with rifles. They made the children lay on the floor while looking for valuables.
The teenager called her mother discreetly to tell her what was happening. The mother called 911 and headed back home. Deputies arrived at the house and surprised the armed men, who fled out the backdoor. One was apprehended nearby, while another initially got away but was soon caught by deputies. The men were identified as Javier Lopez-Ramirez, 23, and Pedro F. Lopez, 19.
The BCSO stated investigators believe Zambrano came to Panama City Beach with the two armed men and convinced her friend to come with her. Zambrano secretly unlocked the backdoor to the home while pretending she went to the bathroom.
Zambrano has been charged with principle to home invasion. Lopez and Lopez-Ramirez are being charged with home invasion robbery. The BCSO is expecting additional charges with the investigation ongoing.