Man pleads guilty in connection with '06 death

By: Amanda Stewart | Inside NoVA
Published: March 28, 2008

A 20-year-old Woodbridge man pleaded guilty in Prince William Circuit Court to three felony charges in connection with the November 2006 stabbing death of Charles Angelos Jr. near Manassas.

Santos Alfredo Espinosa-Reyes, 20, of 15382 Grist Mill Terrace in Woodbridge, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of criminal gang participation, destruction of property and grand larceny.

Espinosa-Reyes was initially also charged with first-degree murder, but prosecutors dropped that charge Thursday.

Angelos was beaten and stabbed to death by several men acting as part of the criminal street gang, MS-13 or Mara Salvatrucha, on Nov. 18, 2006.

Some of the men chased Angelos behind a row of town houses on Portwood Turn in the Manassas area. Others destroyed his truck.

According to court documents, police initially thought Espinosa-Reyes was one of the men who had a knife and who kicked Angelos as he was on the ground.

Prince William County Police Det. James Moore testified Thursday that police later determined that Espinosa-Reyes did not participate in the killing, but did participate in destroying Angelos' car.

All four tires on the car were slashed, windows were broken, and the car stereo was stolen, police said.

Four other men were charged and have been convicted of charges stemming from Angelos' death:

• Michael Angel Ayala, 17, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and criminal gang participation and was sentenced last week to serve 10 years in prison.

• Marvin Alexis-Rodriguez Barrera, 19, was convicted of first-degree murder and criminal gang participation and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

• Elias Isaac Quinteros-Soriano, 29, was convicted of criminal gang participation, destruction of property and grand larceny and was sentenced to serve six months in jail.

• Salvador Mauricio Elias Miranda, 25, was convicted of misdemeanor assault and battery, and was deported.

Prosecutors recommended that Espinosa-Reyes be sentenced to 5 years in prison for each charge he pleaded guilty to, with 4 years and 6 months of each sentence suspended. He would serve a total of 18 months in prison. Prosecutors also recommended he serve 5 years on probation.

His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 5.

Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.