A 29-year-old Hyattsville, Maryland, man pleaded guilty Monday to murder after he followed two brothers after they had cashed checks and tried to rob them in April 2023, according to prosecutors.

Alex Quinteros pleaded guilty to murder and first-degree assault. His girlfriend, 31-year-old Karen Andrade, who prosecutors said helped select the victims that day, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and robbery with a dangerous weapon.

On April 14, 24-year-old Rudy Perez Gutierrez and his brother went to Ever Payer, a check cashing service on University Boulevard in Hyattsville, leaving with nearly $2,000.

The Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a news release that surveillance video showed a white Honda Accord registered to Andrade following the brothers from the check cashing business to their home in the 2100 block of Guilford Road. 

After a struggle, Quinteros shot Gutierrez and his brother, prosecutors said. Gutierrez was killed, but his brother survived.

“It’s unfortunate that these two individuals preyed on the victims, who were working hard to make a living and make ends meet,” State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said in the news release.

“Mr. Gutierrez and his brother, the surviving victim did nothing wrong,” Braveboy added. “However, Mr. Quinteros and Ms. Andrade stalked and attacked them both, resulting in an untimely death. Too often individuals in our immigrant and low-income communities are targets of crime because they are perceived as vulnerable.”

Quinteros faces 50 years in prison. Andrade faces 18 months behind bars.

They are scheduled to be sentenced May 24.