Wheaton Mall Murder Charges Dropped Against Teen

WHEATON, MD — Prosecutors have dropped murder charges against a Montgomery Village teenager in the January 2017 fatal stabbings of two men during a fight at Westfield Wheaton Mall. Angelo Lamont Jackson, 18, of Hawk Run Terrace in Montgomery Village, was charged as an adult with two counts of first-degree murder; he was 17 when he was arrested.

According to online court records, Montgomery County prosecutors filed a nolle prosequi action on March 16, which dropped the charges against Jackson. Two men died from stabbings at Westfield Wheaton Mall on Jan. 14.

The victims are Kevin Siloe Moya Cruz, 22, of Wheaton and Angel Alfredo Gomez-Pineda, 24, of Silver Spring. Both victims died within an hour of being taken to area hospitals, according to Montgomery County Police.

Emergency dispatchers received a call reporting an assault and possible stabbings at 3:17 p.m. at the mall, 11160 Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton. Police and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services personnel found the two men on the lower level of the mall suffering from stab wounds. Authorities haven't disclosed how many times the victims were stabbed, a possible weapon or where the victims were wounded.

Investigators said that Jackson and a small group of subjects, including the two victims, fought in the lower level of the mall near the Hollister store a short time before the stabbings occurred. Mall video surveillance reportedly shows a black male, armed with a knife, stabbing one victim and then, while still armed, pursuing the second victim, police say.

Attorney Louis Martucci, who represented Jackson, told Montgomery Community Media that video of the attack didn't show Jackson's face. The video footage police have of the stabbing only shows someone wearing a hoodie, Martucci said.

Police officers reportedly identified the suspect as Jackson from previous encounters with him once they saw images from the mall fight.

The video also showed the assailant and the two victims fighting in the lower level of the mall shortly before the stabbings occurred. The fight was broken up by mall patrons.

Jackson was arrested in January and held without bond.

Investigators continue to try to confirm a motive for the stabbings.

Anyone with information about the stabbings is asked to call police at 240-773-5070. For those who wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crimes Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).