Alexandria Murders Tied to Notorious MS-13 Gang, Police Chief Says

PHOTO: Alexandria Police Chief Earl Cook, Patch archive photo

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ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The two homicide cases that saw arrests and charges Wednesday in Alexandria are both related to the MS-13 gang, according to Alexandria Police Chief Earl Cook, who held a news conference Wednesday about the cases that was broadcast live on NewsChannel 8.

MS-13 is a gang from El Salvador known for violent tactics and gang initiations. Cook said the victims were not members of the gang.

Beverley Park Homicide: 1 Charged, 2 Others Also in Custody

A 17-year old male is charged with the Nov. 9 murder of Jose Luis Ferman Perez, 24, whose body was found “nearly decapitated,” NBC-4 reported. Police say a teen girl is in custody and an adult male is being extradited to Alexandria. Police did not name the 17 year old who is charged due to his age or what charges if any the other two will face.

Cook said that while both the Beverley Park homicide case and the Four Mile Run homicide case involved gangs, they are not linked.

Four Mile Run Park homicide: 1 Charged

Police also Wednesday charged a suspect in connection with the murder of 22-year-old Eduardo David Chandias Almendarez, whose body was found Dec. 4 in Four Mile Run Park. NBC-4 reported that the victim was stabbed to death.

Arlington resident Edwin Alexander Guerreo Umana, 18, was charged with murder in the case, police said.
Authorities have seen an uptick in crimes in the region connected to MS-13

Uptick in gang-related homicides in region

In November, a 22-year old lost his life in the Gaithersburg area in what police called an “execution-style” gang-related murder.

Read: 3 Arrested in Murder Police Say Tied to Gangs

In April, police arrested a teen who lives in Sterling in what they say was also a gang-related murder, when a body was found in the Herndon area.

Read: Police Charge Sterling Youth, 18, with Murder

In September, a 17-year old in Sterling was shot to death in what some suspect was gang-related, according to NBC-4.

Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, continues to expand its influence in the United States, according to the FBI. FBI investigations reveal that it is present in almost every state and continues to grow its membership, now targeting younger recruits more than ever before.