An Alexandria resident has been arrested and charged in the murder of two people, including an Arlington man.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office announced that 18-year-old Marlyn Medrano-Ortiz, a suspected MS-13 member, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder for a double homicide in Sterling in August.
According to a release from Loudoun Sheriff Mike Chapman, Medrano-Ortiz is charged with the murder of Mijal Conejero-Romera, a 22-year-old woman from Sterling, and Diego Alexander Woollett, a 22-year-old Arlington resident, on August 28.
Chapman said the pair were shot and killed after an apparent altercation on the 21000 block of Ridgetop Circle, near Dulles Town Center.
Medrano-Ortiz was arrested Wednesday evening near the Arlington border in Alexandria’s Arlandria neighborhood.
“On Oct. 23, at approximately 6:01 p.m., in the 4100 block of Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria PD officers recognized the suspect from a law enforcement bulletin shared with our partners,” Chapman said. “Thanks to their initiative, they were able to arrest Marlyn Medrano-Ortiz … working in collaboration with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service.”
Chapman noted in the release that Medrano-Ortiz was illegally residing in the United States. Chapman reiterated his opposition to “the casual treatment of persons in this country illegally who commit crimes against U.S. citizens and others.”
“This continues to be an ongoing investigation, and additional charges related to the death of both victims will be forthcoming,” the press release adds.
Born in Colombia, Woollett immigrated to the United States at age 14. He graduated from Washington-Liberty High School in 2022 and entered the workforce as a driver for Amazon. That’s how he met Conejero-Romera, his girlfriend, who worked in one of the company’s warehouses. Woollett enjoyed playing soccer and had planned to start college this fall, his mother previously told ARLnow.
Photo via Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
