Murder Charge Filed In Fatal Shooting Of 65-Year-Old Layhill Woman

SILVER SPRING, MD — Montgomery County Police arrested 23-year-old Manuel Aleandro Ayala of Layhill in connection with a shooting incident on Monday night that left two people injured and another person dead.

Police responded shortly after 7:30 p.m., to the 14200 block of Punch Street in Silver Spring for the report of a shooting. Arriving officers found a man in the street, suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Entering a nearby home, police found 65-year-old Rosa Maria Benitez-Ozuna of Layhill, who was deceased. The suspect's mother was also located in the home, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for serious injuries.

Through their investigation, police identified Ayala, who was a resident of the home, as a suspect in the shooting. He was taken to Montgomery County Central Processing Unit and charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, and numerous firearm-related charges. Ayala was awaiting his bond hearing, according to police

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).