MANASSAS, VA – A Manassas man accused of being a member of the MS-13 gang has been indicted on murder and racketeering charges.
German Joseth Torres Lizama, 22, of Manassas, was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday on one charge of conspiracy to participate in the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and two counts of murder in aid of racketeering activity. All are felonies.
Prosecutors allege that Torres Lizama, a Salvadoran national, was part of a Virginia clique within MS-13 and that he arrived in the United States around 2021. Starting in 2022, they say, Torres Lizama was part of a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in the Washington Metropolitan area.
They also allege that Torres Lizama murdered a person only identified in the indictment as A.P. because of drug debts that individual had with the gang. Stories at the time identified the victim as Ashlin Yamileth Paz, 18, of no fixed address, who was shot multiple times in a wooded area of Manassas.
Torres Lizama was arrested in Massachusetts in September over her murder. He was arraigned for second-degree murder in Prince William County in October 2024 but was transferred to federal custody in April 2025.
In addition, federal prosecutors say that Torres Lizama participated in a conspiracy to murder a second person identified as C.R. They say in July 2024, Torres Lizama and another gang member traveled to Charlotte-Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. In August, they say, Torres Lizama's associate shot C.R. to death with Torres Lizama waiting nearby to assist. The two then attempted to hide the body and took C.R.'s car to Virginia to be dumped, prosecutors allege.
In court documents, Torres Lizama admitted to being stopped by border patrol agents in Texas and being issued a Notice to Appear before an immigration judge. He also pleaded guilty in May to illegally possessing ammunition.
Torres Lizama is being held in the Alexandria Adult Detention Center. His arraignment is scheduled for August 11.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Manassas Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.