FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. -- Eleven members of MS-13 are being charged in connection with two murders of juveniles that happened in Fairfax County in 2016.
In the late summer of 2016, two boys went missing, 17-year-old Edvin Escobar Mendez of Falls Church and 14-year-old Sergio Arita Trimino of Alexandria. Seven months later, their remains were found in Fairfax County's Holmes Run Park in Lincolnia.
Now, eleven MS- 13 gang members are charged in the boys' abduction and murder. The men charged are between the ages of 20 and 27. They're all from El Salvador and police said they are all members or associates of the violent gang MS 13.
In August 2016, Elmer Zelaya Martinez, Erick Palacios Ruiz, Ronald Herrera Contreras, and Josue Vigil Meija brought the 17-year-old to Holmes Run park and killed him. They believed the male was a member of a rival gang, the office of the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia stated in a press release.
After the murder, the four people and their co-conspirators involved tried to hide evidence linking them to the case. They buried the juvenile's remains.
In September 2016, Elmer Zelaya Martinez, Erick Palacios Ruiz, Ronald Herrera Contreras, Henry Zelaya Martinez, Oscar Contreras Aguilar, Yonathan Melgar Martinez, Pablo Miguel Barrera Velasco, Anderson Villatoro, Francisco Avila Avalos, and Fredys Baires Abarca brought a 14-year-old male to the same park in Fairfax County and killed him because they thought he was involved with law enforcement. Officials said this juvenile's remains were also buried.
The following people were involved in connection with the two murders:
- Elmer Zelaya Martinez, aka “Killer” 27, El Salvador, conspiracy to kidnap
- Erick Palacios Ruiz, aka “Cara de Malo” 20, El Salvador, conspiracy to kidnap
- Ronald Herrera Contreras, aka “Speedy” 20, El Salvador, conspiracy to kidnap
- Josue Vigil Mejia, aka “Horror” 21, El Salvador, conspiracy to kidnap
- Henry Zelaya Martinez, aka “Certero” 24, El Salvador, conspiracy to kidnap
- Oscar Contreras Aguilar, aka “Atrevido” 20, El Salvador, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to kidnap
- Yonathan Melgar Martinez, aka “Oso” 21, El Salvador, conspiracy to kidnap
- Pablo Miguel Barrera Velasco, aka “Oscuro” 20, El Salvador, conspiracy to kidnap
- Anderson Villatoro, aka “Enterrado” 21, El Salvador, conspiracy to kidnap
- Francisco Avila Avalos, aka “Picador” 20, El Salvador, conspiracy to kidnap
- Fredys Baires Abarca, aka “Lil Clandestino” 20, El Salvador, conspiracy to kidnap
Officials said each person involved will face a maximum penalty of life in prison if they are convicted.
How big of a problem is gang violence in the D.C. Region? Consider this, in Fairfax County alone in the last three years, there have been six gang murders. And another man was kidnaped in Fairfax County and killed in Prince William County.
"Gang activity thought out this country is out of control. We need to do more as a community with law enforcement to fight gang crime," said Fairfax county Police Chief Ed Roessler.
Chief Roessler said the following:
"The young age that we see shows us how gang activity is being pushed down into our elementary and middle schools. And it's something we try to combat on a daily basis with our resource officers and outreach in our community. We need to be parents. We need to care for our children. We need to know where they are. What they're doing online. Who are they hanging out with. And we need to intervene and take action. And get them into a productive mode on a daily basis. Unfortunately what we're seeing, especially with gang members, is the lack of parental authority in their lives and the gan becomes their family. It replaces the family. And all of us as a community need to step up."
