Suspect allegedly broke into same West End apartment complex three weeks before double murder

The 27-year-old suspect in the July 16 double homicide incident at the Assembly Alexandria apartment complex allegedly broke into the same complex three weeks prior, according to the Alexandria Police Department.

Francis Deonte Rose has only been charged with burglary for the June 25 incident, and has not been charged with the murders of construction workers Adrian Dejesus Rivera Guzman, 48, and 24-year-old Juan Carlos Anaya Hernandez.

The shooting occurred on the morning of July 16 at the Assembly Alexandria apartment complex in the 100-to-200 blocks of Century Drive, where the victims were working.

“Mr. Rose had a warrant for his arrest from an incident stemming from June 25 for burglary while armed and entering a structure to commit assault and battery,” APD spokesman Marcel Bassett told ALXnow. “The June 25 incident occurred in the 100 block of Century Drive.”

Police made efforts to serve the warrant, but could not find the suspect prior to the July 16 incident, APD said.

The victims were a father and son-in-law from El Salvador, according to NBC4. Guzman and Hernandez were “innocent bystanders to the whole situation,” police said.

Currently no charges have been announced in connection with the July 16 incident.

Rose was set to be tried for weapons and drug charges in Arlington earlier this year. Charges were dropped when it was ruled that police conducted an unconstitutional search prior to a 2020 arrest, leading to conflict between the Arlinton police union and the office of Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehgghani-Tafti.