Two Alexandria men were arrested last month for shooting a gun from a vehicle in the city’s Arlandria neighborhood.
The incident occurred at around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 8. Two Alexandria Police officers in an unmarked SUV observed a white Mercedes-Benz disregard a red light at the intersection of Russell Road and Mount Vernon Avenue, according to a search warrant affidavit. Police then began to follow the car.
The white Mercedes-Benz then began to circle around the Arlandria neighborhood.
“As the vehicle approached the McDonald’s and Volkswagen dealership in the 100 block of W. Reed Avenue, the officers observed muzzle flashes coming from the driver’s side window,” police said in the search warrant.
Police conducted a high-risk stop and pulled the suspects over. They found the “firearm was located in the back seat of the vehicle and the shell casings were on the driver’s side floor,” police said in the affidavit.
The gun, a Polymer80, is a “ghost gun” with no serial numbers.
Police believe that the passenger, 22-year-old Jason Castillo, took the gun from a book bag, reached across the driver and fired out of his window. Castillo told police that he has been targeted by members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, and that he thought that they were being followed by MS-13, not the police.
Both the suspects “stated the shots were to scare or warn them (MS-13) from continuing to follow them around the neighborhood,” police said in the affidavit.
Castillo is being held without bond for shooting from a vehicle, carrying a loaded firearm in public, shooting in a public place, speeding and disregarding a traffic signal. The driver, 20-year-old Erick Romero Molina, was released on $3,000 bond on September 9, and was charged with carrying a loaded firearm in public, shooting in a public place and malicious shooting at a vehicle. Both men go to court on November 15.
Recent Stories
First National Bank held a ribbon cutting and grand opening late last week for its new location on King Street. The bank is located at 704 King Street in Old…
Good Monday morning, Alexandria! ☀️ Today’s weather: Expect sunny skies during the day with temperatures reaching a high near 92 degrees alongside a southwest wind blowing at 5 to 7…
Police continue to investigate two suspicious deaths in Alexandria this week — one in the Braddock neighborhood and another at Four Mile Run. Telemundo reported the victim found in Four…
The body of the man found at Four Mile Run Park on Tuesday has been identified as Kevin IsaÃas of El Salvador by Telemundo 44, though police won’t confirm the…
For many remote workers, a messy home is distracting.
You’re getting pulled into meetings, and your unread emails keep ticking up. But you can’t focus because pet hair tumbleweeds keep floating across the floor, your desk has a fine layer of dust and you keep your video off in meetings so no one sees the chaos behind you.
It’s no secret a dirty home is distracting and even adds stress to your life. And who has the energy to clean after work? That’s why it’s smart to enlist the help of professionals, like Well-Paid Maids.
Monarch Montessori School is now enrolling infants, toddlers and three year-olds for its full-time Montessori program. We offer a seamless enrollment process which involves submitting an application for review, paying the enrollment fee and submitting the remaining enrollment materials before your proposed start date.
At Monarch Montessori School, we aim to provide an authentic Montessori learning experience. At our Alexandria location, we currently have 8 openings in our Primary classroom (ages 3-6), and 6 openings in our Toddler classroom. Additionally, there are 3 infant openings at this time.
Our first floor space is an open concept. Infants and toddlers share the same large classroom. Children ages 3-6 are in two classrooms on our second floor. Each classroom has one lead and assistant guide. We offer a year-round program, with intermittent breaks for Spring Break and Winter Break.
Scholarship Fund of Alexandria Annual Gala & Auction
Do good while having a good time at the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria’s 38th Annual Gala and Auction at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center. The fun begins with a 2-hour open bar reception while mingling with 499 other Alexandrians who
