(Updated 11:10 a.m.) After the death of Alexandria City High School student Yonathan Isaí Vasquez Méndez earlier this week, friends and family are raising funds to help cover funeral expenses and other costs.
While no cause of death has been officially announced, scanner traffic at the time indicated first responders were administering Narcan and later that day, the City of Alexandria issued a warning about fentanyl-laced drugs after “two recent suspected drug overdoses involving school-aged youth,” the Alexandria Times first reported.
Méndez is potentially the latest victim in a spike of overdoses among children in Alexandria. Another student was hospitalized earlier this year and a student at nearby Wakefield High School died after overdosing at the school.
Teachers and friends remembered Méndez as a well-liked student at the school who played guitar at his church and enjoyed watching movies with his family.
Yoni was a well-liked student with many friends in the high school and the IA. Please help his family in this difficult time. https://t.co/taNpuYsj1n
— Gabriel Elias (@Gabriel3lias) May 4, 2023
An Alexandria teenager is being held without bond on manslaughter charges after a “sudden death” last Friday in the Lynhaven neighborhood.
Court records show that 19-year-old Alexandria resident Junior Espinal-Calix was arrested and is being held without bond. Police said Calix is charged with involuntary manslaughter.
“A subject was taken into custody without incident and was charged with involuntary manslaughter,” police said in a release.
Scanner traffic from Friday indicated police were dispatched to a report that a 21-year-old man was shot. Alexandria Police spokesman Marcel Bassett said police could not currently confirm the cause of death.
A preliminary hearing for the case is scheduled for March 31.
James Cullum contributed to this story
The Alexandria Police Department (APD) is investigating a sudden death on East Reed Avenue in the Lynhaven neighborhood.
East Reed Avenue was still closed as of 4 p.m. While scanner traffic indicated police were dispatched to a report that a 21-year-old man was shot, Alexandria Police spokesman Marcel Bassett said police could not currently confirm the cause of death.
“We’re investigating a sudden death,” Bassett said. “We’re looking at all aspects of this case.”
Notification:: There is a moderate police presence in the unit block of East Reed Avenue. This is in response to a sudden death, expect police activity and possible road closures in the area. pic.twitter.com/JEz4t7q8hB
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) February 17, 2023
James Cullum and Vernon Miles contributed to this story
Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
⛅ Today’s weather: Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 55 and low of 39.
☔ Tomorrow: Possible light rain in the morning and afternoon. High of 51 and low of 33. Sunrise at 7:17 am and sunset at 5:28 pm.
🚨 You need to know
The big news over the weekend was the fatal shooting of a teen in a West End hotel room on Friday night.
A 17-year-old Arlington resident was charged with possession of a firearm by a minor after fatally shooting another 17-year-old in the Courtyard By Marriott Pentagon South (4641 Kenmore Avenue).
There were reportedly multiple juveniles in the room when the 17-year-old male victim was shot in the chest. The victim was transported to the hospital where they died.
The teen who allegedly shot the other teen was found two blocks away at 4800 Kenmore Avenue, according to dispatch recordings.
This is the first shooting death of 2023 in Alexandria. APD did not respond to requests for comment on this incident.
This incident remains under investigation and APD asks anyone with related information related to contact APD Detective Matthew Kramarik via at 703-746-6650 or by email at [email protected]. Callers can remain anonymous.
Notification:: There is a heavy police presence in the 4600 block of Kenmore Avenue. This is in response to a shot fired incident. One victim
sustained serious injuries and was transported to the hospital. A suspect is in custody. APD is on scene and investigating. pic.twitter.com/krhVvkVaMX— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) January 28, 2023
🗞 Other local coverage
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🐦 Tweets of note
"Yellow buses go green" 🚌 @wusa9 featured our electric bus fleet tonight on its evening news segment. Stay tuned for the recording to learn how ACPS is one of the top sustainability leaders in Virginia. pic.twitter.com/JEW3wDCzEe
— Alexandria City Public Schools (@ACPSk12) January 26, 2023
Congrats to Luciano, currently training with the Nicaraguan U17 national team in preparation for the upcoming U17 Concacaf Championship.
We are excited to cheer on our guys playing with Guatemala and El Salvador as well! pic.twitter.com/VY2ZdWScXg
— Alexandria Soccer (@AlexandriaSoc) January 26, 2023
When a resident saw a hawk at an Old Town bus stop, they called our Animal Services team, since hawks can fly and don't need mass transit. Chief Rankin answered the call, confirmed that the hawk did NOT have a bus pass and secured the bird to transport to a wildlife rehabber. pic.twitter.com/9GE8wR0xwT
— AWLA Alexandria (@AlexAnimals) January 27, 2023
📅 Upcoming events
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The Alexandria Police Department (APD) has officially upgraded a “suspicious death” investigation to a homicide and said the victim was a local teenager.
Police responded to a call for service at 5:35 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 21, at the 5500 block of Ascot Court.
“Responding officers located a male inside a building with trauma to the upper body,” APD said in a release. “Responding EMS attempted life-saving efforts, however, the male was pronounced dead at the scene.”
This is the seventh homicide in Alexandria this year.
The following press release was just published by the City of Alexandria:
The Medical Examiner has determined this to be a homicide and the victim has been identified as a 17 year old male City Resident.
APD is asking anyone who may have information related to this case to contact APD Detective Stephen Riley via phone at 703.746.6225, email at [email protected], or call our non-emergency line at 703.746.4444. Tips can be anonymous.
For Immediate Release: December 21, 2022
The Alexandria Police Department is investigating a suspicious death that occurred Wednesday during the early morning hours in the 5500 Block of Ascot Court.
The initial call for service was received at approximately 5:35 a.m. on December 21, 2022. Responding officers located a male inside a building with trauma to the upper body. Responding EMS attempted life-saving efforts, however, the male was pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of the incident is still under investigation. APD is asking anyone who may have information related to this case to contact APD Detective Stephen Riley via phone at 703.746.6225, email at [email protected], or call our non-emergency line at 703.746.4444. Tips can be anonymous.
Image via Google Maps
A police investigation of a shooting early this morning in the West End has turned to a “suspicious death” investigation.
The Alexandria Police Department said the initial call for service was this morning (Wednesday) at 5:35 a.m. in the 5500 block of Ascot Court.
According to police:
The initial call for service was received at approximately 5:35 a.m. on December 21, 2022. Responding officers located a male inside a building with trauma to the upper body. Responding EMS attempted life-saving efforts, however, the male was pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of the incident is still under investigation. APD is asking anyone who may have information related to this case to contact APD Detective Stephen Riley via phone at 703.746.6225, email at [email protected], or call our non-emergency line at 703.746.4444. Tips can be anonymous.
There have been six homicides in Alexandria this year. The most recent was a double murder two miles away when two construction workers were killed in an alleged burglary attempt.
Image via Google Maps
Updated at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 1: A man fell to his death off a roof of an apartment building on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Alexandria Police Department.
The incident occurred at around 3 p.m. near the intersection of Mill Road and Dock Lane — at the four-story Carlyle Mill Apartments complex.
The man was identified as Rosalio Esquivel Ramirez, 29, of Hyattsville, Maryland.
The man was part of a work crew on the roof of a building when the incident occurred, APD spokesman Marcel Bassett told ALXnow. Bassett did not confirm from which building the man fell.
“It’s believed he was working on the roof, where he fell off several stories,” Bassett said. “The preliminary investigation suggests that it was an accident.”
Bassett said that the man fell between four and five stories. He was declared dead en route to the hospital.
Police tweeted that there is a heavy police presence in the area, and that the incident is under investigation.
Notification:: In response to an individual involved in a fatal industrial accident, there is a heavy police presence in the 2100 block of Mill Road. APD is investigating and will provide updates when available. pic.twitter.com/KbnUm5tv3i
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) August 30, 2022
After being arrested for suspected burglary, Francis Deonte Rose, 27, has officially been charged in connection with last month’s double homicide at a West End apartment complex.
Rose is charged with the murders of Adrian Dejesus Rivera Guzman and Juan Carlos Anaya Hernandez on Saturday, July 16, in the Assembly Alexandria apartment complex on the 100 block of Century Drive.
“Mr. Rose is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of firearm use in commission of a felony,” the City of Alexandria said in a release. “Mr. Rose was arrested on the day of the incident and continues to be held at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center in Alexandria.”
The victims were reportedly innocent bystanders of a botched robbery.
Rose was released from jail in Arlington earlier this year and allegedly broke into the same apartment complex three weeks before the 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.
The two men shot to death Saturday morning (July 16) were innocent bystanders of a botched burglary, and a suspect is being held without bond in the Alexandria jail.
The victims — identified as construction workers Adrian Dejesus Rivera Guzman, 48, and 24-year-old Juan Carlos Anaya Hernandez — were both shot in the head. The shooting and burglary incidents occurred at the Assembly Alexandria apartment complex in the 100-to-200 blocks of Century Drive.
Francis Deonte Rose, 27, no fixed address, was arrested and charged with statutory burglary, destruction of property. Additional charges are pending, police said.
“The victims were innocent bystanders to the whole situation,” Alexandria Police spokesman Marcel Bassett told ALXnow. “While we’re keeping an open mind currently, we believe that there’s no threat to the public, and that we have suspects in this incident accounted for.”
Police were called at 7:28 a.m. for a report of a burglary at 150 Century Drive, followed by a call for shots fired at 8:53 a.m. and then another burglary call at 9:10 a.m.
The first caller told police that their door was kicked in by the suspect, and Rose is suspected of breaking into “multiple” apartments, police said.
The incidents are the fifth and sixth homicides in Alexandria this year.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Detective Stephen Riley at 703-746-6225. Callers can remain anonymous.
Below is a recording of Alexandria police radio traffic during the July 16 incident.
Map via Google Maps
