Indianapolis, IN – Detectives with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) made a same-day arrest in a deadly shooting that stemmed from an alleged traffic dispute Friday afternoon.
According to IMPD, 23-year-old Deborah Benefiel was arrested just hours after a shooting that left a 21-year-old man dead on October 17, 2025. Officers were first called to West 38th Street and Georgetown Road shortly before 2 p.m. following reports of gunfire, and then to the 3600 block of Donald Avenue, where they found a man inside a car suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Investigators determined the incident began when the victim honked his horn during a short traffic delay. Benefiel, allegedly driving the stopped car, reportedly followed the victim and fired at least one shot into his vehicle before fleeing the scene.
Using automatic license plate reader (ALPR) technology, witness statements, and surveillance tools from IMPD’s Real Time Crime Center, detectives identified Benefiel as the suspected shooter. She was arrested at a residence on East Washington Street later that evening, where a firearm was also recovered.
Following consultation with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, Benefiel was arrested on preliminary charges of murder. IMPD Chief Chris Bailey called the shooting “heartbreaking and unacceptable,” emphasizing that “violence like this has no place in our city.”
Police remind the public that an arrest is merely an accusation and that Benefiel is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
