Thread: MS-13 violence in Baltimore, gang accused of 4 killings | Jefferson Amaya-Ayala

Inside the crackdown on MS-13 violence in Baltimore, gang accused of 4 killings, including teen

By Mike Hellgren
Updated on: January 13, 2026 / 8:50 AM EST / CBS Baltimore

Maryland federal prosecutors have indicted six MS-13 members in recent months, including the alleged leader of the Centrales Locos Salvatrucha (CLS) clique of the gang in the Baltimore area.

The alleged crimes include murder and extortion, and conspiracy, according to court documents.

The addition to the original July 2025 indictment includes two more alleged gang members and other violent crimes, including murder and attempted murder.

Prosecutors said locally the gang operates inside Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Anne Arundel County.

The victims
The indictment lists initials and dates, allowing WJZ Investigates to piece together the gang's violence across the city.

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Michael Ariel Chacon Nataren, 19, died after being shot across from Patterson Park in March 2024, with Crime Stoppers offering an $8,000 reward.

Michael Ariel Chacon Nataren, 19, died after being shot across from Patterson Park in March 2024 with Crime Stoppers offering an $8,000 reward. Metro CrimeStoppers

A federal indictment said he was one of four people killed in Baltimore by a clique of the MS-13 gang since 2023.

"It was pretty shocking that it happened, but honestly, most of my memories were how much the people in our neighborhood kind of came together," neighbor Rachel Okun said.

Okun's neighbor, a firefighter, rushed to help the victim, who was initially shot in the 200 S. Linwood Avenue, and then drove his vehicle the wrong way down East Pratt Street, where it crashed into another car.

A federal indictment said he was one of four people killed in Baltimore City by a clique of the MS-13 gang since 2023. CBS News Baltimore

"It's really sad to me that those things are happening, and it makes me think how important it is to take care of our neighbors and to know each other," Okun said.

Federal authorities also accused gang members of killing 17-year-old Patterson High School Senior Carlos Ivan Osegura Funez in December 2023, using his initials in court records. The indictment said gang members lured the victim by pretending to be a female on an Instagram account.

Authorities said gang members ambushed the victim in the 4900 block of Goodnow Road in Northeast Baltimore, then shot him in a wooded area off Crenshaw Avenue nearby because they believed he had ties to a rival gang. They did not provide information on why gang members believed he was a rival.

Federal authorities also accused gang members of killing 17-year-old Patterson High School Senior Carlos Ivan Osegura Funez in December 2023, using his initials in court records. CBS News Baltimore

An article in the Patterson High School paper paid tribute.

"People were devastated. His family prayed that their son would be found alive," according to the school paper. "His death made a lot of people and students tear up. Several people broke down in school, crying."

Loved ones wrote in an online fundraiser on the GoFundMe platform, "He will absolutely be missed. The world was a better place with Carlos Ivan in it."

Loved ones wrote in an online fundraiser on the GoFundMe platform, "He will absolutely be missed. The world was a better place with Carlos Ivan in it."In another Southeast Baltimore killing, prosecutors said gang members "took turns shooting [the victim] until he died."

The victim, killed on September 4, 2023, was targeted in connection with a dispute over drug sales, according to federal authorities.

Federal prosecutors said he was in front of a library before being taken to a wooded area.

The gang is also tied to two attempted murders, including one in October 2023, where authorities said the victim was targeted because he was preparing to testify against a gang member in a pending criminal case in Baltimore City Circuit Court.

Federal prosecutors said gang members took turns shooting at the victim after finding him behind his house.

Building their case
In recorded jailhouse calls, gang members spoke in coded language about the killings, according to court documents.
They also used surveillance video and witness accounts to bring the indictments.

Prosecutors said the gang extorted money from victims "by threatening and using force, violence and fear."

Prosecutors said Manuel Alexander "Snappy" "23" Lara Morales, 25, of El Salvador, has been the leader of MS-13 in Baltimore since 2023.

Eliseo Alexander "10" "Zorro" "Terrible" Lopez Alvarez, 23, of El Salvador, was second in command, according to prosecutors.

Baltimore's MS-13 case is part of the Trump Administration's Operation Take Back America.

Inside the crackdown on MS-13 violence in Baltimore, gang accused of 4 killings, including teen - CBS Baltimore

Prince George’s County
Four charged in ‘gang-related’ murder of DC boy in Maryland

by: Brian Farrell
Posted: Jan 17, 2026 / 06:52 PM EST
Updated: Jan 17, 2026 / 06:52 PM EST

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — Police said four people face charges in the killing of a 14-year-old boy whose remains were found in November 2025 after he had been reported missing.

Investigators said Jose Merlos-Majano, 18, Alan Josai Garcia-Padilla, 21, and William Cuellar Gutierrez, 19, of Washington, D.C., along with a 17-year old from Hyattsville, Md., were part of luring Jefferson Amaya-Ayala, 14, of Washington, D.C. to Indian Creek Stream Valley Park in College Park, Md. and murdering him.

The Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) said Amaya-Ayala knew at least one of the people charged in his killing which it described as “gang-related,” noting that the reason for the murder still wasn’t clear as of Jan. 17, 2026.

Remains of missing 14-year-old found in College Park; homicide investigation underway

PGPD said Amaya-Ayala’s remains were found in the park on Nov. 3, 2025 while police helped members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and FBI Cross Border Task Force their investigation into the 14-year-old boy’s disappearance. Investigators believe Amaya-Ayala was killed on Aug. 2, 2025.

As of Jan. 17, Cuellar Gutierrez and the 17-year-old who was arrested were in the custody of the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections. Merlos-Majano was in custody in D.C. Garcia-Padilla was in custody in Alexandria. Both were awaiting extradition to Prince George’s County.

DC boy's murder gang-related, Maryland police say; 4 charged

4 suspects charged with murder of 14-year-old from DC

By Amanda Hurley
Published January 18, 2026 2:37pm EST
Maryland
FOX 5 DC
article

The Brief

Four suspects are being charged with murder in the death of a 14-year-old.

Police say the teenager was lured and killed in a park last year.

His remains were found months later during a missing person investigation.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A teenager is dead after what police say appears to be a gang-related murder carried out by four suspects in Prince George's County last year.

What we know:
Human remains were found while searching for a missing person in Indian Creek Stream Valley Park on November 3, 2025.

The remains were identified as 14-year-old Jefferson Amaya-Ayala of Washington, D.C.

Police say Amaya-Ayala was lured to the park and murdered by four suspects on August 2, 2025. It is believed he knew at least one of the suspects.

The suspects have been identified as 18-year-old Jose Merlos-Majano, 21-year-old Alan Josai Garcia-Padilla and 19-year-old William Cuellar Gutierrez. The fourth suspect is 17 years old and has not been identified.

All four suspects are in custody, and have been charged with murder.

What we don't know:
Officials say the murder appears to be gang-related, but a motive is still under investigation.

The Source: Information from this article was provided by the Prince George's County Police Department.

4 suspects charged with murder of 14-year-old from DC | FOX 5 DC

Results from research show that the victim, 14-year-old Jefferson Amaya-Ayala, was probably a US Citizen.

For the suspects Jose Merlos-Majano, 18, Alan Josai Garcia-Padilla, 21, and William Cuellar Gutierrez, 19, all from Washington D.C., ... and 17-year-old male from Hyattsville, Maryland, however there was no information found on their Citizenship status.

Keeping this Post in Illegal Immigration News Stories & Reports.

From one of the articles researched:

DC Teen Found Murdered in Maryland: 4 Face Charges
https://news-usa.today/dc-teen-found...-face-charges/

Summary:
Jan 18, 2026

Prince George’s County, MD – Authorities have filed murder charges against four individuals in connection with the death of 14-year-old Jefferson Amaya-Ayala, a resident of Washington, D.C. The teenager was reported missing in August and his remains were discovered in November, sparking a joint examination between D.C. police and the FBI Cross border Task Force…

According to a statement released Saturday by the Prince George’s County Police Department, Jose Merlos-Majano, 18, Alan Josai Garcia-Padilla, 21, and William Cuellar Gutierrez, 19, all from Washington D.C., have been identified as suspects in Amaya-Ayala’s murder. A 17-year-old male from Hyattsville, Maryland, is also facing charges.

The investigation began after Amaya-Ayala was last seen in Washington, D.C.on August 2, 2025, as reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

This case highlights the increasing challenges faced by law enforcement in addressing cross-jurisdictional crime and the importance of collaborative efforts like the FBI Cross Border Task Force…

For more information on cross-border crime investigations, visit the FBI’s Cross Border Crime webpage. Additional resources on missing persons cases can be found at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.