Family on run from accused killer

A Manassas woman hopes 21-year-old Deonte Donnell Robertson will soon turn himself in to police, allowing her niece to come home.

Police on Wednesday continued their hunt for Robertson, who is charged with striking 34-year-old Sergio Alfonso in the chest with some sort of object during a fight. Alfonso died that night at a local hospital.

Following the killing, police identified Robertson as a suspect, saying he came to Alfonso’s home on Community Drive near Manassas and began arguing with Candice — Robertson’s 23-year-old ex-girlfriend and the mother of his children, ages 2 and 5.

Alfonso, now married to Candice, was fatally injured when he tried to intervene in the dispute, police said.

The next morning Grace Hogue, Candice’s aunt, helped to move her and the children to a safe place outside the state, she said. They were afraid that Robertson would be back to harm them, she said.

The process to get them to a safe place has been a nerve-racking, exhausting and ongoing process, she said.

Now Hogue feels that her family has few options.

“As long as he is on the run from police, Candice and her children will be running as well,” said Hogue.

She said police told Candice about a victim-witness assistance program that may be able to provide her with financial due to time lost from work following the crime.

As she understood it, the money, if awarded, can be used for funeral expenses and to help the family get back on its feet. But getting it from the state could take six to eight months after they apply for the assistance. Her family is hurting now, she said.

That is where Dotty Larson, director of ACTS Turning Points in Prince William County, steps in. Larson’s program offers assistance and shelters for battered women.

They also offer court advocates who help women write affidavits for protection orders against their abusers. The service is free and the advocates accompany victims to court to provide moral support, said Larson.

But in Candice’s case, removing her from the area was the best thing her family could have done for her, said Larson.

“I would go someplace where he doesn’t know where they live until he gets picked up by the police. But for anyone who is associated with her, if he is angry enough, and if he really wants to get her back, he will try to get a hold of anybody who might know where she is,” said Larson.

Police Wednesday closed a portion of Portwood Turn just before noon after they received information that Robertson may have been in the area. Neighbors looked on as police searched the area but found nothing.

Hogue said that Candice and Alfonso had no children together, and that she hasn’t said much about her husband’s death because she is still in shock. The last time she saw Candice was on the Fourth of July, when she was smiling and very happy, she said.

She hopes Robertson will turn himself in soon.

“I would ask him to think of his kids, put this to rest and be able to allow them to come out of hiding,” said Hogue.

Investigators ask that anyone with information call Prince William police at 703-792-6500 or Crime Solvers at 703-670-3700. Tips leading to arrest could earn a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-878-8065.