In the pre-dawn hours of August 28, 2024, a dispute in a Sterling, Virginia parking lot escalated into a fatal encounter that claimed the lives of 22-year-old Diego Alexander Woollett of Arlington and his girlfriend, Mijal Conejero-Romera, also 22, from Sterling. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a fight in the 21000 block of Ridgetop Circle in the Huntington Square area around 4:30 a.m. Upon their arrival, deputies discovered Woollett and Conejero-Romera suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were rushed to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead.
Woollett, who was born in Colombia and immigrated to the United States at the age of 14, was remembered by his mother as a 'very gentle guy' with a 'big smile' who made friends everywhere he went. He was a 2022 graduate of Washington-Liberty High School and was employed as a driver for Amazon, which is how he met Conejero-Romera, who worked in one of the company's warehouses. He had plans to start college in the fall.
The investigation into the double homicide was extensive, involving numerous law enforcement agencies and the review of over 950 hours of video footage. Authorities announced that the shooting appeared to be a targeted incident stemming from an argument with a group of individuals known to the couple. For nearly two months, the case remained unsolved, prompting friends and family to create social media campaigns to seek justice for the young couple and the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office to offer a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
A breakthrough in the case came on October 23, 2024, with the arrest of 18-year-old Marlyn Medrano-Ortiz of Alexandria. Law enforcement officials identified Medrano-Ortiz as a known member of the MS-13 gang. He was taken into custody in the 4100 block of Mount Vernon Avenue by Alexandria Police, who recognized him from a law enforcement bulletin. Medrano-Ortiz has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman stated that the investigation is ongoing and more charges are likely.
