Three suspects have been sentenced to serve decades in prison more than a year after a family was held captive overnight at their Silver Spring home in an attempt to rob a store where one victim worked.
But the family’s trauma lingers after crimes prosecutors called horrific.
Aracely Ochoa was traumatized and lost her job at Cash Depot after the robbers brought her there in an attempt to rob the check cashing business. Police have said the family was targeted because of Ochoa worked at the store.
The family also moved out of the home where, in August 2017, five males ranging from ages 16 to 26 posed as painters talked their way in before holding four adults captive for about 12 hours.
The group told Ochoa that they would kill her 7-year-old son if she didn’t take them to Cash Depot, where she worked, with codes that could be used to rob the store, prosecutors said.
Two of the men accompanied Ochoa to the store, according to court documents, where surveillance cameras captured the attempted robbery.
The three other and a child remained in the home with the rest of the suspects. They left at least one family member, David Rivera, bound and blindfolded for hours. In the morning, Dalik Oxely attacked Rivera, cutting his throat.
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Rivera fought and was able to get free and Oxley ran away. When another suspect returned to the home with Ochoa, the robber saw Rivera holding a knife and fled, court documents say. The family was then able to call for help.
"If not for the force of will to protect his family and survive the attack Mr. Rivera would have died at the hands of these men," State’s Attorney John McCarthy said.
The five suspects were charged within the next two weeks. Edwin Ajeo, who was 16 when arrested, and Younus Muayad Jafar Alaameri pleaded guilty earlier in November. Three more were sentenced Tuesday on a slew of charges including home invasion and assault.
Oxley was sentenced to 50 years. Karon Sayles, who helped Oxley in the knife attack, was given 45 years behind bars. Bobby Johnson was sentenced to 40 years for his role in the crimes.
A judge called the family resilient and expressed hope the family could move past the crime.
