LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. ( DC News Now ) — An 18-year-old MS-13 gang member suspected of being responsible for a double homicide that happened in August in Sterling was arrested this week, Loudoun County officials announced Friday.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) said 22-year-old Mijal Conejero-Romera and her friend, 22-year-old Diego Alexander Woollett were shot just after 4:30 a.m. on Aug. 28 after an altercation broke out in the 2100 block of Ridgetop Circle.
They both died at the hospital shortly after.
2 people die in hospital after shooting in Sterling; LCSO investigating
In the nearly two months since the murders, LCSO said crews have executed 39 search warrants and reviewed over 950 hours of video.
As a result, Alexandria Police Department officers recognized the suspect wanted by the LCSO from a law enforcement bulletin. Shortly after 6 p.m., they arrested 18-year-old Marlyn Medrano-Ortiz, of Alexandria, in the 4100 block of Mt. Vernon Avenue.
Medrano-Ortiz identified himself to authorities as an MS-13 gang member. He was charged with second-degree murder and Use of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony in Conejero-Romera’s death.