A Loudoun County judge sentenced 20-year-old Marlyn Samuel Medrano Ortiz to 80 years in prison, with 50 years suspended, leaving him 30 years to serve for killing two 22-year-olds near a Sterling apartment complex in August 2024. The judge described the level of violence in the case as shocking and said investigators determined the shooting did not meet the legal bar for self-defense.
According to WJLA, the judge said Medrano Ortiz was not in danger, or did not believe he was in danger, when he opened fire. The station reported that his suspended 50-year sentence will only remain intact if he satisfactorily completes five years of probation once he is released.
A Night That Turned Deadly Near Ridgetop Circle
The shooting happened on Aug. 28, 2024, after the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office responded to a disturbance call near Huntington Square and Ridgetop Circle in Sterling, according to Loudoun Now. The victims were identified as 22-year-old Mijal Conejero-Romera of Sterling and 22-year-old Diego Alexander Woollett of Arlington, both of whom died at a hospital, per WTOP.
Loudoun Now's report lays out what witnesses told detectives about how the confrontation unfolded. Medrano Ortiz allegedly shot Conejero-Romera after she cursed at him and his associates while they were drinking together, then shot Woollett when he tried to step in and intervene, the outlet reported. Medrano Ortiz claimed that Conejero-Romera had stunned him with a taser and that Woollett had assaulted him, the same report notes — a version of events investigators ultimately rejected.
Investigators Reject Self-Defense Claim
WJLA reported that investigators determined the shooting did not qualify as self-defense, and the judge echoed that conclusion at sentencing, calling the level of violence shocking. The case moved through the courts over roughly two years, with the double killing eventually advancing to a grand jury before resulting in Thursday's sentencing.
Building the case against Medrano Ortiz took considerable investigative work. Detectives executed 39 search warrants and reviewed more than 950 hours of video footage, according to DC News Now, underscoring the scope of evidence gathered before charges moved forward.
MS-13 Presence in Virginia's Prison System
Cases involving MS-13 members have drawn scrutiny across Virginia in recent years. The U.S. Department of Justice announced in January 2025 that a Salvadoran national and MS-13 member was sentenced to six concurrent life prison terms for murders committed in both Virginia and Massachusetts, a case separate from the Loudoun County killings.
As of June 2025, Virginia housed 113 MS-13 inmates, representing about 2.5% of confirmed gang members behind bars statewide, according to statistics reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Under Virginia law, second-degree murder is punishable by five to 40 years in a state correctional facility, per the Code of Virginia.
Loudoun Now reported last June that total crimes in the county dropped in 2025 according to statistics reported by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, though complete totals and category breakdowns were not detailed in that report. The sheriff's office also maintains a public crime dashboard tracking offenses against persons and property countywide.
