A member of the MS-13 gang was given a life sentence without the possibility of release by the Montgomery County Circuit Court.
Elmer Lopez-Cortez, 26, of Silver Spring, and three other defendants have been confirmed by Montgomery County Police to be members of the La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang.
Willians Anderson Alberto Cruz, 19, was shot and killed, and three other victims—two of whom were wounded but survived—were also found guilty.
The trial’s evidence indicated that the shooting was motivated by retaliation for gang graffiti that had been vandalized in the wooded area next to the parking lot.
Judge Terrence McGann imposed the punishment, which consists of 85 years and three more consecutive life terms.
A jury found Lopez-Cortez and two co-defendants guilty on August 30, 2024. Four counts of using a firearm during a violent crime, three counts of attempting to commit first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, participation in a criminal organization leading to death, and first-degree murder were among the allegations.
This is the first time a defendant in Montgomery County has been found guilty of Participation in a Criminal Organization Resulting in Death.
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