In the early morning hours of January 17, 2025, the life of 26-year-old Marcell Jordan Hebron, an African American male, was cut short in Rockville, Maryland. A Montgomery County police officer on routine patrol happened upon a chilling scene at the intersection of Shady Grove Road and Research Boulevard around 3:16 a.m. A white BMW was stopped in the middle of the road, its exterior bearing the tell-tale signs of violence: bullet holes.
Inside the vehicle, the officer discovered Hebron, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Hebron was known in the local music community as the rapper Lil Xelly.
The grim discovery of Hebron's body was only the beginning of a tragic story that would unfold over the next few hours. At approximately 7:40 a.m., Rockville City police were dispatched to a parking lot at 2 Research Court, not far from where Hebron's car was found. There, they found the body of 27-year-old Leilani Marroquin, who had also been shot to death. Investigators quickly connected the two homicides and identified a single suspect in both killings: 25-year-old Kaloyan Dimov Stoev. Stoev, who was of no fixed address, was located and taken into custody in Rockville by noon on the same day. At the time of his arrest, he was found in possession of two firearms.
Subsequent investigation and court filings painted a picture of a drug deal that had taken a violent and deadly turn. Stoev had reportedly arranged to purchase two ounces of marijuana from Hebron, whom he had known for twelve years. Hebron arrived in the parking lot of a hotel on Research Court with Marroquin in the passenger seat. Stoev got into the back seat of the car, armed with a '.40-caliber 'ghost gun''. According to Stoev's account to detectives, Hebron pulled a gun on him, and Stoev responded by shooting Hebron preemptively. He then allegedly shot Marroquin as she reached for a gun in the glove compartment.
After the shootings, Stoev allegedly checked Marroquin for a pulse, took her phone, and threw it into nearby bushes. In a bizarre and gruesome turn of events, Stoev then reportedly sat on top of Hebron's body in the driver's seat and attempted to drive the BMW away from the scene to hide it. The car malfunctioned and stopped about a half-mile away, where it was later discovered by the patrol officer. Stoev fled back to the hotel where he had been staying. He was ultimately arrested when he returned to the hotel to retrieve his belongings. Stoev admitted to the killings but claimed self-defense, a claim that was rejected by detectives. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and multiple handgun-related offenses and is being held without bond.
