In a shocking turn of events, a former participant in the Miss Ecuador pageant, 23-year-old Landy Párraga Goyburo, was fatally shot in a restaurant in Quevedo. The incident occurred last Sunday when Párraga was conversing with a man and two masked gunmen entered the establishment.
Security footage from the restaurant shows one of the gunmen approaching Párraga and her companion, opening fire and causing fatal injuries to both. The second gunman was seen standing guard at the restaurant’s entrance before both assailants fled the scene, leaving Párraga lifeless on the floor.
Párraga, who represented the province of Los Rios in the 2022 Miss Ecuador pageant, had arrived in Quevedo to attend a wedding the day before the tragic incident. Local news outlet Ecuavisa reported that her name had previously been linked to a notorious gang boss, Leandro Norero.
During Norero’s trial, prosecutors revealed a conversation between Norero and his accountant, Helive Angulo, in which Norero expressed concern about keeping his connection to Párraga hidden. This conversation came to light after Angulo mentioned that the police had questioned him about their relationship. Norero was worried that any exposure of his ties to Párraga could have serious repercussions for him.
Despite these revelations, Párraga was never charged with any crimes related to Norero, who was later murdered in prison just six months into his sentence. While her financial dealings were investigated by the Attorney General’s Office, Párraga was never brought to trial and did not make any public statements about her alleged connections to Norero or his criminal enterprise.
Authorities have since recovered Párraga’s body and have launched an investigation into her murder.