Skip to main content

Police: Montgomery Village homicide was gang related, arrests made

WASHINGTON — Three people were charged in the fatal shooting of man whose body was discovered in a wooded area in Montgomery Village, Maryland, Montgomery County police said Saturday.

Police said the shooting may have been gang related claimed that the suspects — a teenage boy among them — were associated with MS-13.

Luis F. Avelar Morales, 17, of Gaithersburg; Daniel Adonai Ramos, 19, Montgomery Village; and Juan Espinal Rapalo, 18, of Gaithersburg were charged with first-degree murder.

Police did not disclose details about a possible motive, aside from the alleged gang ties, stating that the circumstances leading up to the homicide were still under investigation.

On Nov. 2, a passerby made a macabre discovery — the body of Roberto Gutierrez Cruz, 22, of Montgomery Village — in a wooded area behind the 18200 block of Contour Road.

Cruz died from multiple gunshot wounds, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined. Police claim that Cruz and the alleged assailants were there in the woods the night before, when Cruz was likely shot.

Detectives have since recovered the murder weapon.

Police claim that Espinal Rapalo and Avelar Morales described being there when Cruz died.

Espinal Rapalo, who was arrested Wednesday, is being held without bail. Luis Morales, who was arrested Thursday, has a hearing scheduled for Monday.

Ramos was arrested Saturday and is still in police custody.

How the ‘Juventus Way’ helped young Montgomery Co. soccer players during pandemic

When play resumes June 20 in Italy's Serie A, Juventus will be in first place and looking to secure its 68th league championship. If you're not familiar with one of the world's most famous soccer teams, think the New York Yankees of Italian soccer. But all its glamour and success is matched with true character and commitment for the way the game is played. That's not just limited to the team in Italy, but extends to a global network of youth clubs, including the Montgomery County, Maryland-based Juventus Academy DC Metro.
Read Next Story