A third suspect is facing a murder charge in connection with a killing that rocked an Alexandria neighborhood after the victim's body was found on a popular playground.
Renaldo Mauricio Portillo Membrano, 17, was arrested in January for the crime, but his case has been handled as a juvenile with his name concealed. On Monday, Portillo Membrano was indicted by a grand jury on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder and is being tried as an adult.
The body of Jose Luis Ferman Perez, 24, was discovered on Nov. 9, 2015, under a playground bridge at Beverley Park. An autopsy showed he died from stab and chop wounds.
Leidi Granados Guitierrez, 16, already pleaded guilty in the case to a charge of felony destruction of evidence of murder. An adult suspect, Alvaro Saenz Castro, 22, is expected to enter a guilty plea in June. He's charged with first-degree murder.
A newly released statement of facts in the teenage girl's case reveals new details about what happened the night Ferman Perez was killed. Alexandria police say the suspects were affiliated with the gang MS-13, but that the victim was not in the gang.
The court documents show on the evening of Nov. 8, the victim was having dinner with friends at National Harbor when he received a phone call and began to act withdrawn. He said he felt ill and wanted to be dropped off at home.
After he was left at home with his girlfriend, Ferman Perez left the house, saying he was going to smoke. He never returned.
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Guitierrez was identified because of Facebook posts that showed she'd communicated with the victim shortly before his death.
When Leidi Granados was interviewed by police on Nov. 11, she denied any knowledge of the offense. Investigators later determined she'd deleted portions of her Facebook communications with the victim.
Prosecutors said she destroyed the evidence of the Facebook conversation to try to obstruct the homicide investigation. She will be sentenced April 28.
