Elmer Lopez-Cortez, 26, of Silver Spring, and Junior Del-Cid, 21, of Takoma Park, were each sentenced to life in prison without parole, plus three consecutive life sentences and 105 years, for the 2022 MS-13 gang-related murder of 19-year-old Willians Anderson Alberto Cruz and the attempted murder of three others in Montgomery County.
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, in two separate hearings, the Honorable Terrence McGann sentenced defendants, Elmer Lopez-Cortez, 26, of Silver Spring, and Junior Del-Cid, 21, of Takoma Park, to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He also sentenced each defendant to three additional consecutive life sentences plus 105 years in prison.
This stems from an incident on November 9, 2022. The victims and defendants were previously unknown to each other. The four defendants have been validated by Montgomery County Police as members of the La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang. As stated during trial, the State submits that the motive for the shooting was retribution for defaced gang graffiti in the forested area next to the parking lot where the shooting occurred. Del-Cid and Lopez-Cortez opened fire on the victims after the defendants became convinced the group was responsible for defacing the graffiti. Guzman-Machado and Leon-Chacon waited in the get-away vehicle. The victims were standing around a vehicle, listening to music, when they were suddenly fired upon. They attempted to run for their lives. Victim, Alberto Cruz, died at the scene. The two other victims, who were hit multiple times, were treated at the hospital for their injuries. The fourth victim was the only one to escape without a gunshot wound.
Lopez-Cortez, Del-Cid and a third co-defendant were convicted by a jury on August 30, 2024, on charges of First-Degree Murder, three counts of Attempted First-Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder, four counts of Use of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence, and Participation in a Criminal Organization Resulting in Death, for the shooting death of 19-year-old Willians Anderson Alberto Cruz and for shooting at three additional victims, two of whom were hit and survived their injuries. It was the first time a defendant was convicted on the charge of Participation in a Criminal Organization Resulting in Death in Montgomery County, MD.
Co-defendant Elvin Guzman-Machato, 20, was convicted along with Lopez-Cortez and Del-Cid. He is scheduled for sentencing on February 21, 2025. The fourth co-defendant, Jonathan Leon-Chacon, 26, of Silver Spring, is still pending trial.
Assistant State’s Attorneys Teresa Casafranca and Kimberly Cissel are handling prosecution of these cases.”
