Silver Spring Murder Gang Related; Third Arrest Made: Police

SILVER SPRING, MD — A third person has been charged with first-degree murder in what police now say is the gang-related death of a Prince George’s County man whose body was found along the Northwest Branch Trail in Silver Spring.

Montgomery County Police recently obtained an arrest warrant for a third murder suspect, Leonardo C Siguenza-Neiros, 20, of the 7200 block of Riverdale Road in Lanham. Authorities say Siguenza-Neiros was arrested Monday in Lewisville, TX, on a Montgomery County warrant for first-degree murder.

Investigators believe Siguenza-Neiros fled Maryland in an attempt to avoid arrest. He is being held in the Denton County, Texas detention center until he can be extradited to Montgomery County.

Officials say Siguenza-Neiros was the third person involved in the death of Denis Vitalino Montufar-Bautista, 18, of Adelphi. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Montufar-Bautista’s death was a homicide caused by multiple injuries.

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.

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.

Detectives believe that Montufar-Bautista’s murder is related to MS-13 gang activity. The area where the victim’s body was found is known to be frequented by MS-13 gang members, police say.

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

Police say Coreas-Mejia is being 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 Leonardo C Siguenza-Neiros, courtesy of Montgomery County Police