Ocala, Florida — A couple’s quiet celebration of a husband’s 77th birthday ended in tragedy when a teenager allegedly fleeing the scene of a robbery crashed his vehicle into their car, killing both of them instantly, authorities say.
Charles Duncan and Lynn Duncan were out together on the evening of May 8, marking what should have been a joyful milestone, when a speeding Ford Mustang ran a stop sign and slammed into their Ford Explorer at the intersection of SW 38th Street and SW 67th Avenue Road in Ocala.
Authorities say 17-year-old Estiben Garcia Luis had just committed a robbery at the Ocala SportsPlex athletic fields moments before the crash. Garcia Luis and a second individual fled the scene at high speed in the Mustang before blowing through the stop sign and colliding with the Duncans’ vehicle. Both Charles and Lynn were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they later died from their injuries.
Garcia Luis now faces two counts of felony murder and is being charged as an adult. Detectives say the murder charges are applicable because the fatal crash occurred during the active commission of a felony. He was arrested last week and remains held in Marion County Jail without bond. His next scheduled court appearance is July 21.
The couple’s daughter, Rebecca Duncan-Taylor, revealed that she had spoken with her father earlier that day, singing Happy Birthday to him over the phone — unaware it would be their last conversation.
“It was completely senseless,” Duncan-Taylor said. “And then to know the background behind all of it, it makes me sad and I’m angry. It’s a lot of emotions.”
She described both parents as central figures in her children’s and grandchildren’s daily lives, leaving behind a void that cannot be filled.
“My dad was a huge part, and so was my mom, of my kids’ lives, my grandkids’ lives,” she said.
The investigation remains ongoing as the case moves toward trial.
