(Updated at 6:55 p.m. on 2/28/2024) Another suspect in the 2016 murders of two teens at Holmes Run Stream Valley Park in Lincolnia has pleaded guilty.
Edwin Orellana Caballero, a member of the gang La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, pleaded guilty yesterday (Wednesday) to one count of maiming in aid of racketeering activity in connection to the kidnapping and killing of a 14-year-old from Alexandria, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced.
An Alexandria resident who was 16 years old at the time, Orellana Caballero is one of 17 people who have been charged in the case, which also involved the murder of a 17-year-old Falls Church resident.
According to the Department of Justice, Orellana Cabellero and other members of an MS-13 clique known as the Park View Locos Salvatrucha kidnapped and killed the 14-year-old, who’s identified only as S.A.A.T., on Sept. 26, 2016.
“The gang lured S.A.A.T. to Holmes Run Stream Valley Park in Fairfax County and murdered him in a wooded area there with knives, machetes, and a pickaxe,” the DOJ said in the press release. “Specifically, Orellana Caballero struck S.A.A.T. multiple times with the pickaxe. Once S.A.A.T. was dead, the gang buried him in a shallow grave.”
Prosecutors have said that S.A.A.T. was targeted based on an unfounded suspicion that he was a police informant. The 17-year-old, identified as E.E.E.M., was killed at Holmes Run park in a similarly brutal manner on Aug. 28, 2016.
Five of the individuals involved in the murders were convicted by a federal jury in July 2022 and received lifetime prison sentences that November. Including Orellana Cabellero, 10 defendants have now pleaded guilty before a trial, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis joined U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District Jessica Aber and Wayne Jacobs, the special agent in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s criminal division to announce Orellana Cabellero’s plea after it was accepted by U.S. District Judge Rossie Alston Jr.
Orellana Cabellero is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 28, 2024. He faces a potential sentence of at least 20 years and at most 25 years in prison.
Image via Google Maps
Recent Stories
Good Tuesday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar. 🕗 News recap The following articles were published earlier…
A woman has been hospitalized with critical injuries after a car crash in Reston’s Summer Ridge neighborhood near the North Point Village Center. Fairfax County police officers and medics were…
Virginia has implemented new guidelines to establish a unified rating and improvement system to assess the commonwealth’s publicly funded early childhood care providers. Approximately 75% of child care programs that…
After a successful preview at last month’s Taste of Vienna, the men behind Evelyn Rose seem confident that their upcoming restaurant will prove worthy of its location. The brainchild of…
We’re about a month out from summer. That means you’ve still got time for spring cleaning!
Lexi Grant, an operations manager at Well-Paid Maids, shared her go-to spring cleaning tips with WTOP News. Step one? Declutter. Get rid of items you don’t use, find space for items that need a home and organize those areas.
Then, it’s time to dust. Lexi starts with high-touch surface areas (think: refrigerator, dishwasher, counters, microwave). One area she sees often neglected is the bedroom — and it makes sense. Heavy furniture is difficult to move around, but it’s important to really get in there so dust doesn’t affect your sleep.
FREE Leadership Sessions will be conducted at the George Mason University –Arlington Campus for High School Latinas. The program runs from Monday 7/15 through Friday 7/19 from 10:00AM to 3:00PM EST each day (1-week).
Las sesiones de liderazgo GRATUITAS se llevarán a cabo en el campus de George Mason University – Arlington para latinas de secundaria. El programa se desarrollará desde el lunes 15 de julio hasta el viernes 19 de julio, de 10:00 a.m. a 3:00 p.m. EST cada día (1 semana).
Our goal is to equip students with the fundamentals of self-promotion and guide them in shaping their personal brand for future success. What sets this program apart is its integration of self-awareness activities and mentorship by seasoned professionals.
Sessions begin with a thorough assessment of leadership dynamics on July 15th, participants delve into the intricacies of personal branding and etiquette on July 16th, followed by practical guidance on crafting compelling LinkedIn profiles and resumes on July 17th. July 18th emphasizes the art of storytelling through personal statements, while July 19th culminates in portfolio presentations, allowing participants to showcase their newfound skills. The program concludes on July 20th with a memorable graduation ceremony, celebrating the accomplishments of the ELITE Academy’s graduates and their journey towards leadership excellence.
Reclaim Your Health Holistically! Vienna, VA
This live local wellness workshop offers everyone a great occasion to discover how to implement natural safe effective solutions for all ages and stages. It is also a great opportunity to continue to celebrate the mamas in your life during
Air Layering: Propagating Difficult to Root Plants
Air Layering Workshop: Propagating Difficult-to-Root Plants
Sunday, May 19, 2024
1:00-3:00pm
