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Four Charged in Killing of Missing D.C. Teen Found in College Park

Investigators are examining a possible gang connection.

Overview

  • Prince George’s County police charged Jose Merlos-Majano, 18, Alan Josai Garcia-Padilla, 21, William Cuellar Gutierrez, 19, and an unidentified 17-year-old from Hyattsville.
  • Two suspects are held at the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections, one is in D.C. custody, and another is jailed in Alexandria awaiting extradition.
  • Jefferson Amaya-Ayala, 14, was last seen Aug. 2, 2025, on the 1400 block of Sheridan Street NW in D.C.’s Brightwood neighborhood.
  • His remains were found Nov. 3 in Indian Creek Stream Valley Park during a search by D.C. police and the FBI Cross Border Task Force, and the medical examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by multiple injuries.
  • Police say preliminary findings indicate he was lured to the park and killed the day he disappeared, and a law-enforcement source has linked the case to MS-13 as the motive remains under investigation.