Four Salvadoran gangbangers have been indicted for the brutal murder of a 14-year-old boy last August. The boy’s body was found months later in a Maryland park.
The four suspects are illegal immigrants with confirmed ties to the notorious MS-13 gang, and investigators believe it was a gang-related slaying. One of the suspects is 17, so authorities are not releasing his photo.
The accused killers roamed free for nearly six months and had prior arrests by the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. They were released back onto the streets due to sanctuary policies in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Meanwhile, Democrat Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who represents the district where the deadly assault occurred, has claimed illegals “pose no public threat” and supports keeping the government partially shut down over the U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding fight.
Jose Merlos-Majano, 18, Alan Josai Garcia-Padilla, 21, William Cuellar Gutierrez, 19, and a 17-year-old were indicted on several charges, including first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and participation in a criminal organization, the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson announced last week.
They allegedly lured the victim, Jefferson Amaya-Ayala, of Washington, D.C., to Indian Creek Stream Valley Park in College Park, Md. Early reports and social media posts said they killed him with a machete.
🚨 BREAKING: Four MS-13 illegal aliens have been arrested in Maryland after they hacked a 14-year-old boy to d*ath with a machete
Brought to you by Maryland Sen. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, margarita-enjoyer with MS-13 Abrego Garcia.
HE SHOULD RESIGN.pic.twitter.com/UTaOu1bGf8
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 18, 2026
Amaya-Ayala was reported missing on Aug. 2, 2025. Investigators believe the teen was killed the same day he disappeared. His remains were found on Nov. 3, 2025, after several agencies conducted a search of the park.
The three named suspects are from D.C., and the 17-year-old is from Hyattsville, police said.
Investigators tracked down leads and tips for months, and the Prince George’s County Police Department announced the arrests on Jan. 17. The department’s Homicide Unit charged four suspects with first-degree murder.
Authorities disclosed that Amaya-Ayala knew at least one of the suspects. He was killed by multiple sharp-force injuries, and WJLA 7 News previously reported that the crime is linked to the MS-13 gang.
The chief medical examiner confirmed the remains as Amaya-Ayala and determined he died from “multiple injuries,” ruling the death a homicide, Fox News Digital reported.
DHS announced in January that the three adult suspects are illegal immigrants from El Salvador. They are known active associates of MS-13, which the Trump administration designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
MS-13, short for Mara Salvatrucha 13, is a Salvadorian gang that is notorious for its use of violence, fear and intimidation, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also lodged detainers against the three men. DHS confirmed they had prior arrests by the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, but were released back on D.C.’s streets.
Merlos-Majano was previously arrested in Washington, D.C., on charges including defacing public property and possession of a prohibited weapon after allegedly spray-painting MS-13 gang symbols on homes, DHS said.
Garcia-Padilla was previously convicted of attempted unlawful possession of ammunition by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, DHS said. He had fraudulent documents including a lawful permanent resident card and social security card, and the Biden administration also released him from custody.
Cuellar Guiterrez had run-ins with the Metropolitan Police Department and was arrested for several weapons charges, including possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, possession of unregistered firearm, and carrying a pistol without a license. DHS also confirmed he was previously released under the Biden administration.
The murder hasn’t deterred Hollen, a sanctuary politician who fought to free “Maryland dad” and MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego-Garcia in 2025 and return him to the United States.
Prince George’s County is the same police force with a gang task force that originally arrested Abrego-Garcia in 2019 and confirmed his ties to the MS-13 gang.
Van Hollen joined other Democrat lawmakers in their escalation of anti-ICE rhetoric and antics since President Donald Trump took office. He has vocally opposed immigration enforcement efforts and voted against funding for DHS, specifically targeting ICE.
Around the time of the arrests for Amaya-Ayala’s murder, he publicly declared “I will not vote for one more dime to fund Trump’s lawless DHS.”
Van Hollen was among the 29 senators who voted against the spending deal in January 2026 and continues to keep the government partially shutdown, stripping funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard during the stalemate.
