Three Maryland men, identified as members of the MS-13 gang, have been convicted for their roles in a deadly 2022 shooting in Silver Spring. The men, Junior Francisco Del-Cid, Elmer Lopez-Cortez, and Elvin Guzman-Machado, face life in prison without parole, along with the possibility of additional consecutive life sentences plus 105 years for first-degree murder and other related charges, as reported by WTOP.
According to Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, as elaborated in a DC News Now report, the shooting was a retaliatory act over gang-related graffiti. On the night of the crime, Del-Cid and Lopez-Cortez fired upon four individuals, wrongly believing they were responsible for defacing MS-13 graffiti. Tragically, 19-year-old Willians Anderson Alberto Cruz was killed, and two others were injured in the attack.
This conviction represents a historic first in Montgomery County for the charge of Participation in a Criminal Organization Resulting in a Death. A three-week trial culminated in six hours of jury deliberation before the guilty verdict was delivered, as detailed by DC News Now. The three men were not only found guilty of first-degree murder but also attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, firearms violations, and their involvement in criminal gang activity.
As per WJLA, sentencing for the three convicted men is scheduled for January 31, 2025, while the fourth defendant, Jonathan Leon-Chacon, will stand trial on June 16, 2025.
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