Kaylee Hottle, 18, who played Jia in the film series, was riding as a passenger in a sedan when its 19-year-old driver crashed before 3 a.m. in Ijamsville,.

The sheriff’s office said the 1995 Honda Accord traveled off the right side of a two-lane road in the 11400 block of Windsor Road and struck a culvert.

The man driving the Accord was taken to the hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening and another passenger declined medical treatment, the sheriff’s office said.

Hottle, of Kyle, Texas, was taken to a trauma center, where she was later pronounced dead.

The sheriff’s office said excessive speed is believed to be a factor in the crash.

Hottle’s character communicated using American Sign Language in “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.” According to , she came from a family with multiple generations of deaf relatives.

Her father, Joshua Hottle, posted a 20-minute video to Facebook using ASL and wrote, “I am taking a flight that I never would like to take.”

Hottle was a senior at the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin.

“Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time,” the .

The school is offering counseling to students and staff.

Frederick deputies have asked anyone who has information on the crash to call the sheriff’s office at 301-600-1046.

Below is the area where it happened.

Source

The man was identified as David Lawrence Jones, 52, of Silver Spring.

Dive teams from the Maryland Natural Resources police and Anne Arundel County Fire Department recovered his body late Monday afternoon.

Jones went missing Sunday afternoon after he jumped off a pontoon boat to go after a hat that had fallen in the water.

At the time he jumped in, Maryland Natural Resources police told ������Ƶapp the man was not wearing a life jacket. There were six other people on the boat with the man at the time of the incident.

Natural Resources Police, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, the Baltimore County Fire Department, the Maryland State Police Trooper 6 helicopter and the Coast Guard responded to the scene Sunday. They searched for the man until nightfall,��when it was too dark for divers to look in the water, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

The search resumed early Monday morning, with officers shifting to a recovery operation, according to police.

Chesapeake Search Dogs were scanning the area where Jones went underwater. The Anne Arundel County Fire Department brought in multiple vessels, divers and unmanned aerial systems teams to help with the search. The area police department used side-scan sonar and aerial drones.

Jones’ body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy.

The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

This is a developing story. Stay with ������Ƶapp for the latest.��

������Ƶapp’s José Umaña contributed to this report.��

Source

Part of Interstate 495 were closed between Interstate 66 and Route 50 as police investigated, according to ������Ƶapp’s Traffic Center.

For about 30 minutes, all lanes of the Beltway were shut down near the crash.

Once police reopened a few of the main lanes and the express lanes, traffic was creeping by the crash site.

Few details about the crash are available but a program operated by area transportation authorities said it.

for the latest on roadway impacts.

������Ƶapp’s Dave Dildine contributed to this report.��

Source

The park service wrote a report on the possible effects of the proposed Triumphal Arch, which would be built within Memorial Circle, between the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery and the Memorial Bridge.

Comments can be made on the now through July 30.

In its report, the park service looked into possible impacts of other changes in the area that would come alongside the arch, including plaza development, landscape changes, utilities, circulation modifications and construction staging.

Some those impacts would include lane closures during the construction of the arch and the installation of new traffic signals.

It’s the second time the park service has invited the public to comment on its report. An earlier public comment period was open last month.

President Donald Trump has pushed for a 250-foot Triumphal Arch to be built in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. But the idea has drawn criticism from some members of the public and preservationists.

Despite that pushback, the National Capital Planning Commission voted to approve preliminary site and building plans for arch last week, The Associated Press reports.

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A few more clouds may dot the sky, and an isolated late-day thunderstorm may pop up, but most neighborhoods will remain dry and hot. Highs will still reach the lower to mid-90s, with feels-like temperatures ranging from 100 to 105.

Much of the D.C. region is under a heat advisory until 8 p.m. with heat index values around 105 in the forecast, according to the National ������Ƶapp Service.

A code orange air quality alert is also in effect across the District, suburban Maryland, Northern Virginia and the Baltimore region. The alert means pollution levels could become unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, older adults and people with asthma, heart disease or other respiratory conditions.

7News First Alert Meteorologist Eileen Whelan said a large ridge of high pressure responsible for the intense heat is also carrying wildfire smoke south from Canada, leaving the region with hazy skies and reduced air quality.

“Anyone with asthma or respiratory issues should avoid or limit strenuous activity outdoors,” Whelan said. “Otherwise, probably want to do that just because it’s going to be so hot and humid. Afternoon highs get into the mid- to upper 90s.”

The National ������Ƶapp Service said smoke from fires in Quebec and Western Ontario will continue thickening across the region.

Thursday night will remain warm and humid before somewhat less humid air moves in Friday.

The smoke could become even more noticeable Friday as a thicker plume settles over the region, potentially further reducing visibility and worsening air quality. Additional air quality alerts may be needed. Temperatures will back off a few degrees but remain very hot, with highs in the middle to upper 90s

A cold front approaching Saturday will begin stirring the atmosphere and bring the weekend’s greatest threat of dangerous weather.

Saturday will feel “tropical,” Whelan said, with highs near 90 and scattered showers and thunderstorms developing. There could be damaging winds, large hail and isolated flash flooding, depending on how much instability develops during the day.

Conditions improve somewhat Sunday, with partly cloudy skies, temperatures around 90 and only a stray storm possible.

Relief arrives next week when afternoon highs are expected to fall into the 80s.

Until then, Whelan urged residents to take the heat seriously, limit strenuous outdoor activity and use extra caution if they are sensitive to wildfire smoke.

• Listen to ������Ƶapp online��and on the radio at 103.5 FM or 107.7 FM.
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Forecast

THURSDAY EVENING:
HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 8PM
Hazy/smoky sun, hot. Isolated PM storm chance
Temperatures: 90s to 80s
Winds: West 5-10 mph

THURSDAY NIGHT:
Hazy, smokey skies
Lows: 70-78
Winds: Light

FRIDAY:
Haze and smoke
Highs: 90-95
Winds: Northeast 5-10 mph

SATURDAY:
Partly sunny. Strong storms possible
Highs: 90-95
Winds: Southeast 5-10 mph

SUNDAY:
Partly cloudy. Isolated storms
Highs: 88-93
Winds: West 5-10 mph

Current Conditions

Source

“When you factor in the humidity, which is very high, we’ve got feels-like temperatures, the heat index values, anywhere from 102 to 105 degrees,” said 7News First Alert Meteorologist Mark Peña.

That summer heat is expected to hold through the evening and temperatures are back near 100 Thursday and Friday.

The National ������Ƶapp Service issued a heat advisory for the D.C. area until 8 p.m. Wednesday as heat index values could be 105 to 109 degrees.

According to the weather service, heat index values hit 106 at Reagan National Airport on Wednesday afternoon.

There is also a code orange air quality alert in effect Wednesday and Thursday for ground level ozone with some wildfire smoke in the upper levels of the atmosphere, according to 7News First Alert Meteorologist Eileen Whelan.

“That big ridge of high pressure that’s bringing us the heat is also transporting some of that wildfire smoke to the upper levels of the atmosphere, so creating kind of that milky-looking sky,” Whelan said.

Temperatures are expected to fall into the 80s Wednesday evening and into the mid 70s overnight.

“We’re going to do it all over again on your Thursday, temperatures back in the lower 100s, with feels-like temperatures again anywhere from 102 to 105,” Peña said.

Friday will be hot and humid, but not as extreme as the prior days. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to upper 90s.

DC region responses to the heat

As a result of the extremely hot weather, local officials are responding with caution.

In the District, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the city will be under an extreme heat alert starting Wednesday through Saturday. It’s recommended to avoid arduous activity outdoors from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In Virginia, Fairfax County Public Schools is canceling all outdoor activities, such as recess and extracurricular activities from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

To stay safe during the heat, it’s strongly recommended that you drink a lot of water to keep yourself hydrated, wear light clothing and stay indoors as much as possible.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking 8 ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes, which is about a quart every hour.

������Ƶapp has a list of all the cooling centers in the D.C. region.

• Listen to ������Ƶapp online��and on the radio at 103.5 FM or 107.7 FM.
• Current traffic conditions
• ������Ƶapp forecast
• Closings and Delays
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Forecast

WEDNESDAY EVENING: Hazy, hot and humid
Temperatures: 90s to 80s
Winds: West 5-10 mph

OVERNIGHT: Hazy and muggy
Lows: 75-82
Winds: Light

THURSDAY: WEATHER ALERT
Partly cloudy and very hot with isolated afternoon storm chance
Highs: 97-101
Winds: West 5-10 mph

FRIDAY: Partly cloudy and hot
Highs: 95-99
Winds: Northwest 5-10 mph

SATURDAY: Storms possible
Highs: 90-95
Winds: Southeast 5-10 mph

SUNDAY: Scattered showers and storms
Highs: 88-93
Winds: West 5-10 mph

Current Conditions

Source

U.S. Capitol Police said 67-year-old Wendell Royster pulled up to the North Barricade entrance to the Capitol and stopped to talk to the officer just before 11:30 a.m.

That’s when the Capitol Police officer saw the handgun and ordered the driver to put his hands up. Officers surrounded the SUV and Royster was arrested within two minutes of approaching the barricade.

Weapons are not allowed on the Capitol grounds. Royster was driving a rented Ford Bronco at the time of his arrest and a dog was inside the SUV, according to a news release from police.

Royster has been charged with carrying a pistol without a license and permit.

“Royster was not on record with the USCP,” the police department wrote in a . “Currently, there does not appear to be a nexus to the Congress.”

The incident led to a significant police response and investigators initially asked people to avoid the area just off Constitution Avenue on the Senate side of the Capitol.

Police told ������Ƶapp no one was hurt. Officers gave the dog food and water until animal control came to pick up the animal.

������Ƶapp’s Mitchell Miller contributed to this report.

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On Monday afternoon, Fairfax County police identified Chisen Jameson, 60, as the woman who was shot in the 12000 block of Washington Brice Road.

Her husband, 64-year-old Leland Jameson, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Officers were first called to the Jamesons’ home at around 10:20 p.m., according to Fairfax County police. A 911 call taker could “hear sounds consistent with a disturbance before the line disconnected,” according to a news release. Another 911 call was made roughly 20 minutes later.

Police said they found Chisen inside. She had gunshot wounds in her upper body and died at the scene.

Leland is being held on no bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

“The investigation is ongoing, but we do have a suspect detained, and there are no outstanding parties,” Deputy Chief Brendan Hooke said at a news conference Monday.

Investigators said they’re still processing evidence and conducting interviews.��Police have asked anyone with information to contact the department by phone at 866-411-8477 and.

A map of the area where the shooting happened is below:

Source

At one point, the National ������Ƶapp Service issued a tornado warning for parts of St. Mary’s and Charles counties after a waterspout was spotted offshore near the Wicomico River.

Torrential rain created delays for afternoon commuters with ponding on some roadways and low visibility, ������Ƶapp Traffic’s Dave Dildine reported.

Afternoon and early evening thunderstorms dropped buckets of rain on the D.C. area, flooding some spots, and blew through with gusty winds that could knock out power.

“Rainfall rates of two to three inches per hour, so obviously visibilities are low,” ������Ƶapp Meteorologist Mike Stinneford reported at 4:30 p.m. “We’re still seeing a lot of heavy storms all the way back into West Virginia, and that’s all got to come through the area.”

Some of the storms carried in hail the size of quarters, according to the National ������Ƶapp Service.

The D.C. region was under a flood watch from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. Thursday. The weather service said urban areas along Interstate 95, which have seen heavy rainfall this week, were at the highest risk.

Dildine reported ponding and instances of flooding on major commuter routes, including the Beltway and I-270, during Thursday evening’s commute.

The chance for storms diminished by 7 p.m., when the weather service canceled its severe thunderstorm watch for most of the D.C. area.

“Lingering showers and storms will draw to a close this evening, a little bit of patchy fog overnight,” said 7News First Alert Meteorologist Steve Rudin.

• Listen to ������Ƶapp online��and on the radio at 103.5 FM or 107.7 FM.
• Current traffic conditions
• ������Ƶapp forecast
• Closings and Delays
• Sign up for ������Ƶapp email alerts
• Get custom alerts with the ������Ƶapp app for�������Ի��������DzԱ��

Outside of the storms, Thursday was warm with highs around 85 to 90 and high humidity.

Friday afternoon could bring another round of storms. Periods of sunshine are expected to break through over the weekend.

Forecast

THURSDAY NIGHT:
Becoming partly cloudy. Areas of patchy fog
Lows: 68-75
Winds: West 5 mph

FRIDAY:
Partly cloudy. Scattered showers, storms possible
Highs: near 90
Winds: West 5-10 mph

SATURDAY:
Scattered PM storms
Highs: 78-85
Winds: North 5-10 mph

SUNDAY:
Partly cloudy
Highs: 83-88
Winds: Northeast 5-10 mph

Power Outage Map

Current Conditions

Source

The adjustments come Thursday as some riders have been waiting in long lines to board the temporary shuttle buses.

The closure between the North Bethesda and Friendship Heights stations began this week and will last until Sept. 7. In the meantime, Metro is running shuttle buses to fill the gap.

Metro relocated some of the shuttles and added parking for customers who are taking shuttles at the Friendship Heights station.

Metro said local shuttle boarding would be moved to Bus Bay K, which is the current stop for the C83 and D96 buses on Wisconsin Avenue.

Both C83 and D96 will be relocated to the bus shelter located on Western Avenue near Wisconsin Avenue, according to Metro.

Express shuttle boarding will continue to be held in the 5300 block of Wisconsin Avenue in Northwest D.C.

About 100 parking spaces were added at Metro’s Western Division Bus Garage, near the former Lord & Taylor. That parking is only available during hours when Metro is running, drivers who park overnight could be towed.

The shutdown will allow Metro to build a new mezzanine at the Bethesda Station to connect it with the future Purple Line. There are also plans to make improvements to the railway and other stations.

Source

Janey Sears, of D.C., pushed a man in his 50s to make investments, secretly pocketed the funds into a personal account and then blew through his money, spending $55,000 on a new sedan and gambling away $100,000 at casinos.

A jury in Montgomery County Circuit Court found Sears guilty of theft scheme over $100,000, securities fraud and misappropriation of funds by a fiduciary on Tuesday, according to a news release from the Montgomery County State’s Attorney Office.

Sears connected with the man, a federal worker, on a dating website in September 2019, according to prosecutors. She told the man she was a Harvard graduate who owned a D.C.-based transportation logistics company.

The first time the pair met up in person, Sears suggested she stay at the victim’s home in Silver Spring to make it easier for her to go to a meeting in Baltimore the next morning.

A couple of months later, the man agreed to let her move into the home in November 2019.

Sears talked the man into some home improvement projects and suggested he get a home equity line of credit to help pay for them. With Sears’ encouragement, he secured a $150,000 loan in May 2020.

In August 2021, Sears convinced the man to join an “investment pool” for Pfizer stock. According to prosecutors, she promised he’s made enough to be “financially independent” and told him this type of investment was normally reserved for wealthy people, like herself.

The man passed money to Sears on a monthly basis from August 2021 to May 2023, under the false belief she was making investments on his behalf. Instead, prosecutors said Sears put all of those checks, wire transfers and cash into her personal accounts.

Prosecutors laid out the payments to the jury in a flow chart, which included a transaction to purchase a 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia in 2021. She told the victim the new car came from her father.

Another chart shows Sears��gambled about $113,000 at MGM Casino and Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, as well as Ocean Resort Casino in New Jersey.

The jury deliberated for an hour and fifteen minutes before returning its guilty verdict Tuesday.��Sears is expected to be sentenced on Aug. 28; she faces up to 23 years in prison.

“The defendant groomed the victim, gaining his trust, and deceived him into believing she was acting in his best interest,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said in a news release. “We are grateful that the jury saw through the defendant’s web of lies and that justice will be served.”

Source

Maryland is expanding benefits offered through the state’s energy assistance programs, a move aimed at lowering utility bills as energy costs strain some households, according to a Thursday news release from Gov. Wes Moore’s office.

Low-income households are expected to see the largest savings.

Marylanders could see up to a 32% increase in their benefits through the Department of Human Services Office of Home Energy Programs’ energy assistance program.

“In our region and across the country, the rising cost of energy has gotten out of control,” Moore said in a news release. “But no family should have to choose between paying their utility bill and putting food on the table.”

The revised benefit structure launched this week was created to offset up to 55% of annual heating costs and up to 47% of electric bills for Marylanders in need.

Factors like household size, utility consumption and finances will impact the amount of assistance a home receives. According to the state’s Department of Human Services office, households that are considered low-income will get the largest bump in support.

The state’s Office of Home Energy Programs is also issuing $48 million in supplemental grants to help Marylanders cover their electric bills through the end of September. Those grants will be automatically applied to people who received benefits from the Electric Universal Service Program in the 2026 fiscal year.

Households that receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Cash Assistance will be automatically connected to the energy assistance programs.

A new law passed by the Maryland General Assembly this year to the Electric Universal Service Program to include Marylanders who don’t qualify for federal benefits to help with energy costs.

Source

Some of the laws that hit the books July 1, 2026, will affect law enforcement in Virginia, racehorses in Maryland and minimum wage workers in D.C.

The laws range from measures around speeding drivers in Virginia to regulations many Maryland schools have already implemented.

Here’s a look at some of the legislation taking effect on Wednesday:

Virginia

: A judge issued an injunction to temporarily pause a new law that prevents officers from wearing face coverings while on duty in Virginia, multiple sources .

The ban emerged as some ICE agents made arrests while wearing masks that concealed their identities, a move the potential doxing.

U.S. District Judge Robert Payne ruled on a which argued the law is unconstitutional because it regulates federal agencies, in violation of the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.

A spokesperson for the Attorney General Jay Jones’ Office said he “strongly disagrees” with the judge’s order.

“We remain steadfast in our mission to support law enforcement, keep Virginians safe, and protect every Virginian’s right to the transparent administration of the law,” the attorney general’s spokesperson told ������Ƶapp in an email.

The law allows for exceptions in situations where masks are used to protect against disease, infection or exposure to toxins, and for officers carrying out missions as part of a special weapons and tactics team.

: The law sets guidelines on how law local enforcement agencies interact with federal officers enforcing immigration laws.

Local law enforcement agencies can work with federal immigration officers under a warrant or subpoena. The law allows for local sheriffs and jails to honor ICE detainers and transfer custody of suspects.

It also establishes parameters on agreements made between local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration officers. Under the allowed agreements, ICE must provide local police with the names of officers involved in operations ahead of time. Agents also must be clearly identified as ICE while enforcing immigration law.

ICE can’t carry out operations at schools, faith-based organizations, courthouses or polling places when voting is taking place.

: A law that bans the future sale of certain semiautomatic firearms is also facing legal challenges, with opponents arguing it violates the state’s constitution.

The Virginia law had been set to go into effect July 1, but a judge issued an injunction last week to prevent state police from enforcing the new rules until Dec. 31, or when a permanent ruling is reached.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger banning the sale or transfer of assault weapons and devices that allow a weapon’s magazine to hold more than 15 rounds. The law generally does not apply to weapons purchased before July 1 that haven’t been modified with a device to expand their capacity.

: Virginia will be the first state in the U.S. to require certain drivers who hit 100 mph to install devices on their vehicles that physically prevent them from speeding. Judges will have the option to order drivers to install “Intelligent speed assistance,” devices, instead of passing down jail time or suspending drivers’ licenses.

: Virginia is expanding protections for immigrant workers who want to report wage theft or minimum wage violations. Employers cannot legally threaten employees over their immigration status to prevent them from filing a complaint.

: Virginians convicted of certain low-level offenses will soon have their criminal records automatically sealed under the “Clean Slate Law.”

According to The Associated Press, the law is expected to automatically seal 100,000 criminal records for convictions on misdemeanor offenses such as distributing marijuana, trespassing and shoplifting.

For more serious offenses, including some low-level felonies, Virginians can petition to have records sealed they remained crime-free for at least 10 years.

Virginians’ right to access contraception is now codified in state law.

Another newly enacted law requires insurance companies to or devices. The goal of the legislation, according to the governor, is to expand access to reproductive healthcare and contraception.

: Virginia renters are getting added protections around making payments to landlords.

Under the new law, landlords are required to accept checks and money orders to cover rent or security deposits.

If a landlord charges a fee to process a payment, it can’t be higher than the actual out-of-pocket cost charged by the company processing the transaction. And in many cases, residents also can’t be forced to pay a fee for maintenance or repairs to their home.

Maryland

: Many school systems already restrict cellphone use, but they will be required to put “bell-to-bell” cellphone bans in place by the 2027–2028 school year.

Students must keep devices put away and stay off social media during the school day, including lunch periods and time in between classes. Tablets, laptops, smart watches, wireless earbuds and headphones fall under the ban.

The rules don’t apply to school-issued devices and instances where a personal device is being used for approved educational purposes. There are exceptions for students who use devices for language translation or to monitor a health condition.

: Students attending colleges and universities will soon have access to free tampons and sanitary pads.

Under legislation approved by Gov. Wes Moore, higher education institutions that provide housing on campus will be required to offer free menstrual hygiene products inside student health centers.

The law goes into effect July 1, but campuses have until Aug. 1, 2028, to comply.

: The era of ordering cocktails to go will continue in Baltimore County. Businesses there that serve alcohol can apply for permits allowing them to serve mixed drinks and cocktails to carryout customers.

Those beverages must be sealed in their original packaging from the manufacturer, with no straws or openings for sipping. And the person buying the drinks has to order food too — prepackaged snacks don’t count.

: Schools must allow students to have an excused absence when missing class to be civically engaged, for example, kids offering testimony or meeting with lawmakers.

: Racehorse owners cannot knowingly sell their animals for commercial slaughter.

The new law makes it illegal to purchase, sell, transfer or transport a racehorse if the owner knows or reasonably should know, that the animal will be killed for profit.

: Lottery operators must withhold prize money from winners who owe child support or carry certain forms of state debt. Winners must be notified before prize money is withheld.

DC

: Workers earning the minimum wage can expect to see a raise in pay on July 1. It is being bumped from $17.95 per hour to $18.40 per hour.

For tipped workers, the base wage is rising from $10 per hour to $10.30 per hour. If tips don’t get the worker up to the standard minimum wage on average, their employer must cover any difference.

Source

Nakita Walker, 46, was sentenced Thursday in D.C. Superior Court on charges related to a head-on collision that killed Lyft driver Mohamed Kamara and his passengers, Olvin Torres Velasquez and Jonathan Cabrera Mendez.

While announcing the sentence, Judge Rainey Brandt also revoked Walker’s driving privileges and recommended that she continue mental health and substance abuse treatments while she’s in prison.

Walker was convicted in April of three counts of involuntary manslaughter, fleeing law enforcement and assault with a dangerous weapon. The same jury ruled that she was not guilty of��second-degree murder.

In the early hours of March 15, 2023, a U.S. Park Police officer stopped Walker’s vehicle near the Kennedy Center for speeding and running a red light.

Prosecutors said she complied with the officer at first, but then sped off, reaching 100 mph on Rock Creek Parkway before crashing into Kamara’s vehicle, killing all three people inside.

During Walker’s trial, a key witness for the prosecution contradicted his testimony to the jury.

Walker’s ex-boyfriend, Donnell Thomas, initially told investigators that Walker had been drinking before the crash. But in court, he said Walker had not been drinking or smoking marijuana. He told the court that he’s had memory issues since the crash.

Walker also has multiple previous DUI convictions and in 2023, had unpaid traffic tickets totaling $14,300.

������Ƶapp’s Thomas Robertson and Grace Newton contributed to this report.��

Source

One man, 20-year-old Edvin Agustin Leon, died from his wounds on Nov. 9, 2022. Another survived by pretending to be dead then crawled a quarter mile to get help, according to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Last week, a 22-year-old was convicted on charges stemming from the shootings, and a 32-year-old was sentenced to life in prison for his involvement.

Investigators believe five people were behind the shootings in Northwest Stream Valley Park, near the 9000 block of Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring.

The state’s attorney’s office said two high-ranking members of MS-13 provided guns to other members and told them to kill the two men.

In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Sender Godoy-Lemus, 22, of Silver Spring, was found guilty on June 18 on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy in Agustin Leon’s death.

He was also convicted of attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy in the shooting of the second man, as well as use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, and participation in a criminal organization resulting in death.

Godoy-Lemus’ conviction comes after his first trial ended in a hung jury in 2025. His sentencing hearing hasn’t been scheduled.

Carlo Yaque del Cid, 32, of Hyattsville, was sentenced on June 17 to two consecutive life sentences plus five years for Agustin Leon’s death and the shooting of the second man. He faced the same charges as Godoy-Lemus.

Where things stand with the other men accused in the shootings

Another member of MS-13 was sentenced last summer to life in prison plus 52 years; Edgard Castro-Contreras is believed to have fired the shots that killed Agustin Leon.

Brayan Bonilla-Andrade is awaiting a sentencing hearing after pleading guilty to first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence. He faces two life sentences plus 20 years.

And Jonathan Videz Martinez is slated to go on trial on charges related to the shooting, including first-degree murder.

Their cases are all being prosecuted in Montgomery County.

One of the men who was shot told investigators that he and Agustin Leon were accosted by MS-13 gang members over an accusation, according to charging documents. He said the gang members separated him from Agustin Leon in the wooded area before they were shot.

Agustin Leon died at the scene. The other man, though he’d been shot multiple times, crawled through the park crying for help. Neighbors called 911.

Montgomery County police, the FBI, Maryland-National Capital Park Police and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service investigated the shootings.

Source