Proposition For Sex Leads To Conviction For Second Degree Murder

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — A 50-year-old Fairfax City man was killed in June 2023 after he propositioned another man for sex, according to prosecutors.

A Fairfax County jury convicted 31-year-old Aaron Robertson on second-degree murder on Thursday in the killing of Luis Barahona Reyes on June 9, 2023.

Around 11 p.m., both Robertson and Barahona Reyes exited a bus on Draper Drive. Following a brief conversation, Robertson led Barahona Reyes to a parking lot behind 9714 Fairfax Blvd., where he knocked Barahona Reyes unconscious, according to court records.

During the early morning hours of June 10, Robertson returned to the scene of the attack and then beat, stabbed, and eventually killed Barahona Reyes, according to police. Leaving the scene again, Robertson returned to clean up the victim's blood and dispose of the body.

The prosecution argued in court that it was during the brief conversation between the two men after they exited the bus that Barahona Reyes propositioned Robertson for sex.

“I’m personally dismayed this type of crime could happen in this day and age, especially in a community like Fairfax County that prides itself on being welcoming,” said Steve Descano, following Robertson's conviction. “Mr. Barahona Reyes’ death is tragic, and the fact that he may have been killed for his sexuality only further adds to the injustice.”

City of Fairfax Police found Barahona Reyes' body inside a dumpster at 9715 Fairfax Blvd later in the day of June 10.

With the help of county police, the City of Fairfax Police took Robertson into custody on July 6 at the Five Below retail store, where he had worked for 1 month earning $12 an hour, according to court documents. He was then taken to the detention center and charged with second degree murder.

In the bail determination document from Robertson's July 7 arraignment, Magistrate Jesse Mitchell included the following details about the case:

"The arresting detective provided some limited information about the background of the case. The victim was found with a crushed skill, multiple stab wounds, and neck trauma. Accused had blood on his shoes and clothing that matched victim's DNA and was found on video going back to the scene several times."

Prior to Robertson's arrest in July, detectives had submitted evidence to the Virginia Department of Forensic Science for testing, according to a July 3 certificate of analysis. The evidence included DNA samples from both Reyes and Robertson, as well as items of clothing and other materials gathered at the crime scene.

In addition, investigators obtained surveillance footage from the nearby the Wawa and 7-Eleven stores plus eyewitness accounts that showed Robertson entering and leaving the stores throughout the early morning hours of June 10, according to police.

Robertson will return to court on July 26 for sentencing. He faces up to 40 years in prison for the second-degree murder charge.