Prince William man indicted in triple homicide
Anastacio Sanchez-Miranda
The suspect in the December triple homicide in Woodbridge could face the death penalty, after being indicted on capital murder charges this week.
The grand jury Monday indicted Anastacio Sanchez-Miranda, 39, of 3514 Briarwood Drive, Apt. 2, in the Dumfries area, on 14 felony charges, including two counts of capital murder for the Dec. 9 shooting deaths of Juan Manuel Guevara, Rosario Europa Martinez and Gerardo Lopez-Garcia, according to court records.
Sanchez-Miranda was also indicted on three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated malicious wounding and seven counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
A grand jury indictment means that prosectors have sufficient evidence to take the case to trial. It is not a finding of guilt or innocence.
At Sanchez-Miranda's preliminary hearing in General District Court last month, witnesses testified that San-chez-Miranda came uninvited to a house in the 13600 block of Grandview Avenue in Woodbridge around 7 a.m. on Dec. 9.
Twelve people were sleeping at the house at the time after celebrating a 2-year-old's birthday party the pre-vious day.
Sanchez-Miranda forced his way into the house that morning and started shooting, witnesses said.
He is accused of shooting five people—killing three and injuring two—before fleeing to his sister's house in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where police arrested him five hours later.
Police said they believe that Sanchez-Miranda's estranged wife, Judith Europa, was his intended target that morning. She was not injured. Five children were also in the house that morning, including Europa and Sanchez-Miranda's three children, but none were injured.
Sanchez-Miranda's trial date will be set on April 25.
If convicted of capital murder, he could face the death penalty.
Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
No matter if he is illegal or legal this man committed murder and should be punished. Plus he shot in the house where there were children, either of them could have gotten hit by a bullet.
He is an illegal alien from Mexico. The PWC police affirmed that last year when he was arrested. Relevant? I sure think so considering over half the murders last year were commited by illegal aliens.
He’ll be deemed to be illegal and set free. After all, it would be racist to try an illegal for only trying make a better life by committing crimes. /sarcasm off
Racial profiling ? Let him free.
Advertisement