On Wednesday, Alexandria police made a series of arrests to several members of the MS-13 gang believed to have been involved in the murder of a couple of men in November and December last year. The arrests made included a 17-year-old male who is now facing murder charges. In addition to this, an adult male and a 16-year-old girl will also be facing similar charges. This adds to the previous arrest of 18-year-old Edwin Alexander Guerreo Umana, who was arrested for the murder last December. All four were said to be members of the MS-13 gang.
The arrested individuals are currently facing murder charges for the deaths of 24-year-old Jose Luis Ferman Perez and 22-year-old Eduardo David Chandias Almendarez. The body of Perez was found in Beverly Park on November when a woman walked her dog near a playground. Perez's body had been brutally slashed when he was found in the park. A month later, the body of Almendarez was also found in Four Mile Run Park.
Police Chief Earl Cook has commented that while these murders were not connected, detectives believe that gang members had perpetrated them. Between the two slayings, only one case could be linked to gang members explicit motivation to make the business of MS-13 known to the public.
According to authorities, these crimes were a "chilling reminder" of the rise of gang violence in the region. Because of the extent of violence, the police are using resources from Homeland Security and the FBI to solve these cases before they reach onto other states. With these murders, the public is getting worried about their safety knowing that MS-13 members could be in their neighborhoods. Activities of MS-13 members can be dated to as far back as October 2014, wherein 13 suspected MS-13 members where involved in a murder attempt at a Prince William County School along with three other killings throughout Northern Virginia.
The police were unsuccessful in reaching the family members of the murdered victims.
