Two Charged with Murder of Man Along Silver Spring Trail

SILVER SPRING, MD — Two people, one of whom is a 15-year-old, have been charged with murder in the death of a Prince George’s County man found Dec. 22 near the Northwest Branch Trail in Silver Spring.

Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Department on Monday released the name of the homicide victim as Denis Vitalino Montufar-Bautista, 18, of Adelphi.

On Dec. 23, detectives charged Noe Antonio Coreas-Mejia, 19, of the 1300 block of Merrimac Drive in Hyattsville, for the murder of Montufar-Bautista. Detectives also charged Julio C. Rivas-Rosales, 15, of Adelphi, as an adult with Montufar-Bautista’s murder.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Montufar-Bautista’s death was a homicide caused by multiple injuries.

Investigators say Montufar-Bautista had been missing from Prince George’s County since Dec. 16. The circumstances surrounding what occurred before he disappeared are still under investigation, but detectives believe Montufar-Bautista was murdered at the Northwest Branch Stream Valley location the same day he went missing.

Rivas-Rosales was charged with one count of first-degree murder and was ordered to be held without bond.

Police say Coreas-Mejia is behind held in Prince George’s County on charges by that county’s police department.

Detectives from the Major Crimes Division were in the area the night of Dec. 22 near the inner-loop of I-495 in Silver Spring when they found Montufar-Bautista’s body in the creek along the trail.

Detectives ask anyone with information about the death or additional suspects to contact the Major Crimes Division at 240.773.5070.

For those who wish to remain anonymous, Crime Solvers of Montgomery County is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of the suspect(s). Tipsters can call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

»Photo of suspect Noe Antonio Coreas-Mejia, courtesy of Montgomery County Police