Nearly three decades after gunfire shattered a late-night scene inside an Adams Morgan restaurant, a D.C. jury has found Oscar Diaz Romero guilty of two counts of second-degree murder in a long-running double homicide case. Jurors on Thursday convicted Romero in the fatal 1997 shooting inside La Rocas, a restaurant on 18th Street NW. Two men, 22-year-old Jose Noel Coreas-Carcamo and 27-year-old Jose Molina, were killed and a third person was wounded. Romero, 47, has been in custody since his extradition from El Salvador in January 2025, and his sentencing hearing is set for June 5, according to WUSA9.
Prosecutors told jurors that Romero fired a revolver inside the crowded restaurant, then fled the country. He has also used the name Oscar Alonzo Salguero. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the verdict, as reported by WUSA9.
Romero had pleaded not guilty at an initial court appearance on Jan. 30, 2025, and asserted his constitutional rights as the case moved forward. That early hearing took place before D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman, according to DC Witness.
The 1997 La Rocas Shooting
The shooting erupted in the early morning hours of Aug. 9, 1997, inside La Rocas on the 2400 block of 18th Street NW in Adams Morgan, when gunfire broke out during what should have been just another late-night stop. Coreas-Carcamo and Molina died after the attack, and a third victim was treated and released. The Washington Post originally reported the victims’ names and the restaurant’s location while police worked the scene, capturing the immediate aftermath and early stages of the investigation.
Extradition and Next Steps
Prosecutors say Romero left the United States after the shooting and was ultimately arrested in El Salvador in 2024 before being returned to D.C. to face charges in January 2025. Those arrests, his extradition, and the guilty verdict were reported by WUSA9, which also notes the June 5, 2026 sentencing date.
What the Law Says
Under District law, murder in the second degree is defined in D.C. Code § 22-2103 and can carry a sentence ranging from a term of years to life imprisonment. Romero’s exact punishment will be decided at his upcoming sentencing hearing. For the statutory language, see the full text on Justia.
