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Wednesday, mar 19
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El Salvador
Police & Fire
Pedestrian Killed By Fleeing Fugitive In Maryland Identified By AG
New details have been released by the Maryland Attorney General's office after a fugitive struck and killed a Riverdale woman while fleeing police in Prince George's County. Warren Leonard, 23, of Washington, DC, was wanted for second-degree rape when a Hyattsville City Police officer attempted a traffic stop around 10:15 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28. Leonard briefly stopped in the 3300 block of East-West Highway before taking off westbound, investigators said. The officer ended the pursuit near 23rd Avenue, but moments later, Leonard lost control, swerved onto the shoulder, and fatally struck …
News
ICE Arrests International Gang Leader With Terrorist Affiliation In Maryland
A notorious MS-13 leader with international ties has been captured in Maryland, where he was in the country illegally, federal officials announced. David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman, 27, was arrested in Hyattsville last week in a joint operation between US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI. A high-ranking leader of the transnational MS-13 gang, Orellana-Aleman was wanted in El Salvador for firearm possession, extortion, and terrorist affiliation, according to ICE officials. “The apprehension of David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman strikes a significant blow to the leadership a…
Obituaries
Victim Killed In Head-On Maryland Crash, Now Family Hopes To Send Him Home
After a tragic crash claimed the life of Marcos Anton Solórzano Ramirez, a Maryland community is rallying to send him home to his family in El Salvador. The 51-year-old was killed in a fatal two-vehicle crash in Poolesville on Friday, according to the Montgomery County Department of Police. Police say the crash happened shortly after 6 p.m. on Feb. 21 when Solórzano Ramirez was driving a green 2000 Acura Integra eastbound on Whites Ferry Road. For reasons still under investigation, his vehicle collided with a white 2023 Ford Transit van traveling westbound near th…
Politics
Biden Extends Deportation Protections Ahead Of Trump Inauguration
In a last-minute move, President Joe Biden extended deportation protections on for approximately 900,000 immigrants from countries facing conflict or instability, including Venezuela, Ukraine, El Salvador, and Sudan. The decision, announced on Friday, Jan. 10, shields these individuals from deportation and allows them to work legally in the US for the first 18 months of the incoming Trump administration. Biden’s action utilizes Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a program granting renewable 18-month protections for individuals from countries deemed unsafe due to armed c…
Lifestyle
Christmas Miracle: Maryland Mom Scores $50K Scratch-Off Win During Family Snack Run
What started as a Christmas Day snack run in Wheaton and ended with $50,000 for a Montgomery County mom who had never played the Lottery before. Lilian Hernandez of Silver Spring, a mother of two, scratched her way to a life-altering windfall thanks to a $5 Deluxe Crossword 9th Edition ticket she bought on a whim. The inspiration? Her aunt, Norma Hernandez, a seasoned Lottery enthusiast who convinced her to give it a try. "We thought it would be a fun thing to do." The family outing to the Safeway at on Georgia Avenue turned into an unforgettable moment. “I’ve ne…
Police & Fire
Fugitive Wanted For 1997 Maryland Shooting Captured In El Salvador After 27 Years On The Run
A fugitive who spent nearly three decades on the run after a 1997 shooting in Silver Spring has been captured in El Salvador and returned to Montgomery County to face charges. Jose Mauricio Rivera, 58, was extradited to Maryland on Thursday, Dec. 5, after being arrested by Salvadoran authorities in April 2023. He is charged with second-degree attempted murder and two counts of first-degree assault, according to the Montgomery County Department of Police. Rivera is accused of shooting his estranged wife multiple times on Oct. 9, 1997, in the elevator of her apartment building in the 8100 blo…
Police & Fire
Teen Killed By BF Days After Maryland Reunion Was 'Dreamer Studying To Reach Goals' In US
Dania Carolina Cruz Mejía came to the US searching for a better life five months ago, only to see those dreams dashed when the 18-year-old was allegedly killed by her boyfriend in Maryland. Earlier this year, the El Salvador native made the move to the country, where she reunited with longtime boyfriend Gerber Luis Sanchez Centeno, 22, who has since been accused of her murder in Montgomery Village. According to Cruz Mejía's family, she had spend the last couple years with Sanchez Centeno, who decided to reunite in Maryland, leading to her death. "(Ten) days after reuniting with D…
Police & Fire
Father 'Heroically Saved Children, Wife' In Fatal Maryland Fire, Family Says
The community is rallying around the family of a man who saved his wife and children from a two-alarm fire in Maryland that claimed his life. Baltimore County fire crews were called shortly after midnight to the 8400 block of Greenway Road in Towson on Monday, Aug. 26, where there was a report of an apartment building on fire. 2 alarm apartment fire w/rescue. Fire crews respond to 8400 blk Greenway for apt fire. Crews arrive to fire showing and people trapped. EMS transported 4 peds patients with minor burns and 2 adults with serious injuries to area hospitals. Fire under control 0059 hr…
News
Carjacker Who Killed Maryland Woman In Virginia Was Undocumented Non-Citizen, Sheriff Says
The 21-year-old man who killed a Maryland grandmother with her own vehicle during a carjacking in Virginia over the weekend is an undocumented non-citizen, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Jose Aguilar-Martinez was arrested this week in connection to the fatal carjacking involving Silver Spring resident Melody Waldecker, 54. Waldecker was in the 21000 block of Towncenter Plaza when she was carjacked at around 11:40 a.m. on July 29 in Sterling by Aguilar-Martinez. According to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, Waldecker was carjacked, then struck by her own vehicle a…
News
Founder Of LGBTQ+ Non-Profit In DC Pleads Guilty To Fraud After 'Unexpected Return' To US: Feds
The trailblazing founder of Casa Ruby, a DC-based non-profit that had provided services to the LGBTQ+ community admitted to stealing at least $150,000 in COVID relief funds and stashing it in Central America for her personal use, authorities announced Ruby Corado, 53, pleaded guilty on Wednesday in US District Court to diverting the taxpayer-backed emergency funds to private off-shore bank accounts, which then was used for her own gain. She was charged in March with bank fraud, wire fraud, laundering of monetary instruments, monetary transactions in criminally derived proceeds, and fai…
Traffic
Teens Killed In Fiery I-270 Hit-Run Crash With BMW Identified By Maryland State Police
New details have been released by Maryland State Police following a fatal hit-and-run crash on I-270 as they continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the early morning incident. Gaithersburg resident Luis Isaac Bran, 17, and 18-year-old Rebeca Gabriela Vasquez Moreno, of El Salvador, were both killed in Montgomery County in a crash on Friday, June 21 that also left their 50-year-old driver hospitalized with undisclosed injuries. It is believed that the driver was Bran's mother and Moreno's aunt. Troopers were called shortly before 5 a.m. on Friday to a stretch of the nort…
News
Here's What Trump Said In Phone Call To Grieving Mom Of Slain Maryland Jogger Rachel Morin
Patty Morin got an unexpected phone call Thursday morning, June 20. Former President Donald Trump, who was reaching out to express his condolences, Morin's attorneys said. Patty's daughter, Rachel Morin, was killed in August 2023 while jogging on the Ma & Pa trail in Bel Air. Last weekend, her accused killer, Victor Martinez-Hernandez, was arrested in Oklahoma. Patty Morin said she was deeply touched by Trump's phone call. "He was genuine and truly wanted to know how our family was coping," she said. "He asked about Rachel and showed honest compassion for her untimely death.…
News
Arrest Made In Murder Of Maryland Mom Rachel Morin, Officials Say
An arrest has been made nearly a year after Rachel Morin was found dead near a Harford County trail, authorities said on Saturday. Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, 23, was taken into custody in Tulsa, OK, in connection with Morin's August 2023 killing, according to the Harford County Sheriff and Morin's family's legal team. Harford County Sheriff Gahler said that DNA evidence was key in linking Martinez-Hernandez to the murder. "Three weeks ago, on May 20, which should have been Rachel's 38th birthday, investigators uncovered a lead, and we're here today to tell you Rachel's murde…
News
Wilber Oswaldo Nunez-Menendez Sentenced For Cookout Murder
A man who fled to his native El Salvador for years following a fatal shooting in Anne Arundel County will be spending decades stateside - in a prison cell - authorities announced on Wednesday. Wilber Oswaldo Nunez-Menendez, 28, of Crownsville, was sentenced to 90 years in prison with all but 55 years suspended, with the first 10 years to be served without the possibility of parole, after admitting to a 2020 shooting at a company party. According to Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess, the fatal and non-fatal shooting of two men were reported at a construction company…
News
Founder Of LGBTQ+ Non-Profit In DC Charged For Fraud After 'Unexpected Return' To US: Feds
The trailblazing founder of Casa Ruby, a DC-based non-profit that provided services to the LGBTQ+ community is facing charges for alleged fraud and money laundering, according to prosecutors. Ruby Corado, 53, made her initial court appearance in DC on Wednesday to face charges for allegedly defrauding Paycheck Protection and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs, and money laundering after fleeing the country, authorities announced. Specifically, Corado is accused of diverting at least $150,000 of $1.3 million in taxpayer-backed emergency relief funds, intended for the organi…
News
Man Who Fled To El Salvador Admits To Murder At Maryland Get-Together: State's Attorney
A Maryland resident who was tracked down in El Salvador pleaded guilty on Monday, Jan. 22 to shooting two men, one fatally, during an argument at a get-together in 2020, authorities announced. Wilber Oswaldo Nunez-Menendez, 28, of Crownsville, pleaded guilty to second-degree counts of murder and attempted murder, as well as two counts of use of a handgun in a violent crime in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court in Annapolis, State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said. The charges stem from a November 2020 incident in which Anne Arundel Police responded to a home on Brick Church Road in Edgewater…
Obituaries
Educator Remembered For 'Ability To Make Anyone Fall In Love With Her' After Fatal MD Crash
Support is swelling for the family of a beloved 54-year-old mother and grandmother who was struck and killed by a driver in Prince George's County. More than $10,000 has been raised on behalf of Adelphi resident Rosa Guzman, who was identified by police investigators as the woman killed last week at an area hospital after being struck by a minivan crossing the road. Shortly before 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5, officers from the Prince George's County Police Department were called to the area of Riggs Road and Ruatan Street in Guzman's hometown, where there was a report of a pedestrian who h…
News
Maryland Rape Suspects Busted Attempting To Flee Country At Dulles Airport
Two rape suspects wanted in Maryland are in custody after being caught attempting to flee the country at Washington Dulles International Airport. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers were busy this week, arresting two men hours apart as they both sought separate flights to El Salvador to evade their arrest. First, officers arrested Oscar Armando Hernandez Mata, a 53-year-old Salvadoran in the country illegally who was wanted in Montgomery County for rape and sexually abusing a minor on Thursday afternoon at the departure gate. Officials noted that Hernandez Mata is "an alien unl…
Police & Fire
Shooting Suspect Extradited From El Salvador For Fatal 2020 Shooting In MD
Years after a fatal shooting in Anne Arundel County, police say that a wanted suspect is back in the country and facing a host of criminal charges in Maryland. Wilber Oswaldo Nunez-Menendez, 25, formerly of Crownsville, has been taken into custody for his alleged role in a November 2020 shooting that left Annapolis resident Ronal Alcidis Maldonado Quijada, 52, dead and a 28-year-old hospitalized, authorities announced on Monday, May 15. According to police, on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, officers were called to Brick Church Road in Edgewater to investigate a reported shooting, which was a targ…
Lifestyle
Lucky Prince George’s County Man Wins Top Prize On Lottery Ticket
A Hyattsville man nearly spit out his coffee after a shocking win on a single Maryland Lottery scratch-off ticket, officials announced. On Saturday, March 11, Jose Hernandez stopped in at Ricker's Beer and Wine to pick up a $50,000 Cash scratch-off ticket that he didn't think much of, according to Maryland Lottery officials. The Hyattsville man was in for a huge surprise when he scanned his ticket, showing he had won the top $50,000 prize. “I scanned it and could not believe what I saw,” said Jose. “I was so happy.” The welder immediately went home to tell his family and headed…
News
Customs Officers Bust Two Men Wanted For Sex Offenses At Dulles International Airport
Two men wanted for felony sex offenses in the DMV region were apprehended by US Customs and Border Protection officers as they attempted to board an international flight at Washington Dulles International Airport. Officials announced that officers arrested Kadian Andre Mitchell, 42, of Alexandria, Virginia, and Gaithersburg, Maryland resident Alexander Mercado Amaya, 31, in two separate stops at the airport over the weekend. Mitchell is wanted in Prince George’s County on rape charges and was apprehended as he was heading on a flight to Panama. Amaya was wanted in his hometown Montgomery Co…
Police & Fire
MS-13 Member Accused Of Murdering 20-Year-Old Autistic Woman In Harford County: Police
An undocumented immigrant from El Salvador believed to be a member of the MS-13 street gang has been charged with strangling a 20-year-old autistic woman to death last summer in Harford County, police say. The Aberdeen Police Department announced on Thursday, Jan. 19 that a 17-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of Kayla Hamilton in the afternoon of July 27, 2022. Kayla HamiltonGoFundMe photo According to police, on the day of the murder, officers were called to a home in the unit block of East Inca Street in Aberdeen to investigate the death of a woman who had gone into cardi…
News
Four Baltimore MS-13 Gang Members Indicted For Violent Racketeering Conspiracy: DOJ
Four more members of the MS-13 street gang in Baltimore have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Maryland for their roles in a violent racketeering conspiracy that included multiple murders and attempted murders, according to the Department of Juste. Federal prosecutors announced that four members of MS-13 from Baltimore with curious nicknames are facing life in prison for the racketeering conspiracy that involved murders and drug trafficking to further their enterprise in Maryland. Those indicted: Wilson Arturo Constanza-Galdomez, also known as “Humilde,” and “Marco Saravia,” 23; E…
News
Netflix Is About To Start Charging You To Share Your Password
Sharing your Netflix password will soon come with a price. Starting in early 2023, Netflix will allow only one "home account" and charge for every "sub account" added to that account — up to five, the company announced. The new payment plan was rolled out as an experiment in Argentina, Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, where customers paid $2.99 to add a sub account. Netflix did not immediately say how much sub accounts will cost Americans.
News
Two Salvadoran Men Wanted In Maryland For Sex Crimes Apprehended At Dulles Airport In DC
Two Salvadorian nationals living in Maryland - one of whom was reportedly fleeing prosecution - wanted for sex crimes were busted by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Washington Dulles International Airport, according to authorities. The agency announced on Wednesday, Aug. 31 that this month, officers apprehended Jose Efrain Mejia Alas, 34, who had been living in Germantown, and Juan Anitportan Lara Ramos, 50, an Essex resident, who are both wanted in Maryland for sexual abuse claims. Alas was arrested on Sunday, Aug. 21 as he attempted to board a flight to El Salvador, whi…
Police & Fire
Police ID Woman Struck, Killed By Car In Maryland
The victim who was fatally struck by a vehicle in Chillum has been identified as a Hyattsville woman, authorities said. Maria Quinteros, 57, was struck by a SUV heading eastbound on East-West Highway near Riggs Road around 9 p.m., Wednesday, June 22, according to the Prince George's Police Department. Police arrived to find Quinteros in the roadway and she was subsequently transported to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. The driver of the SUV remained on scene and did not report any injuries. Quinteros was getting out of work when she was tragically hit. Her family is trying to ra…
News
Murderous East Coast MS-13 Leader From NJ Sentenced In MD To Life
A Jersey Shore MS-13 overlord who ran the gang’s East Coast operation was sentenced in Maryland to life in federal prison on Friday, April 1 for a “reign of terror” across several states, the U.S. Justice Department announced. Miguel Angel “Reaper” Corea Diaz, 41, of Long Branch, NJ will have to serve out the sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. The capture of Corea Diaz was “one of the biggest takedowns of a high-ranking MS-13 leader in the United States," a district attorney in Nassau County said after he was indicted on Long Island in December 2018. Corea Dia…
Obituaries
Sorority & Fraternity Mourn Loss Of 27-Year-Old Brother Killed In Maryland Crash
A 27-year-old Silver Spring who died in a crash in Howard County, is being mourned by members of Greek life at a college in Maryland. On Jan. 13, Rony Sibrian was behind the wheel of a 2002 Toyota Avalon heading south on Route 29 when he left the roadway, struck an embankment, and overturned around 5:05 p.m. in Laurel, county police said. Sibrian was rushed to a nearby, where he was pronounced dead. Courtney Sinkler of the Alpha Phi Omega Sorority and Fraternity at Frostburg State University remembered Sibrian on Facebook: Truly the saddest news I could have read today 💔. Rony was one th…
News
El Salvadorian Brothers Dead After Possible Carbon Monoxide Poisoning In Maryland
Two men in Prince George's County who died on Jan. 4 from possible carbon monoxide poisoning when their home lost power, have been identified as brothers. A family relative says Carlos Ramon Carranza, 39, and Luis Eduardo Carranza, 26, had just moved to the U.S. five years ago from El Salvador to start a new business. Un homenaje a mis primos Carlos Ramon Carranza y Luis Eduardo Carranza, a San Alejo nos duele estas grandes pérdidas,... Posted by Reynaldo Castro - San Alejo on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 The two men lost power during the winter storm that hit Maryland on Jan. 3, and…
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