Police arrest MS-13 gang members, others in connection to string of crimes.

Police in Leesburg said they arrested four people, including two with ties to MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha), in connection to a series of violent crimes that spanned the course of months.

Emerson Martinez-Alvarenga, 19, Marco Mendoza-Monjaras, 19, Marcos Sorto-Argueta, 19, and Juan Cubillas-Rodriguez, 18, all of Leesburg, face charges.

The Leesburg Police Department said Martinez-Alvarenga and Mendoza-Monjaras are the two people linked to the gang MS-13.

Here’s a breakdown of the crimes of which the group is accused of committing:

May 21
The Leesburg Police Department said Martinez-Alvarenga pulled a gun on a number of people on Hancock Place NE.

June 9
Investigators said Martinez-Alvarenga, Mendoza-Monjaras, and Cubillas-Rodriquez were involved in trying to extort money from someone in the 900 block of Edwards Ferry Rd. NE. Police said Mendoza-Monjaras used a machete in the process.

Man sexually assaults person while armed with knife
June 18
Officers received word of gunfire on Hancock Place NE. They found a man who had been shot and cut. Sorto-Argueta and Martinez-Alvarenga were charged as a result of the investigation.

June 29
Police received reports of gunshots in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 400 block of Evans Ridge Terrace NE. Investigators said Martinez-Alvarenga fired into a building there.

July 20
Members of the Leesburg Police Department found Martinez-Alvarenga at a home on Fort Evans Road NE with a gun. They recovered the gun and arrested him.

A gun that police say they recovered from an MS-13 gang member charged in a series of crimes. (Leesburg Police Department)
“The Leesburg Police Department takes crimes of violence, especially those involving criminal gangs extremely seriously,” said Leesburg Deputy Chief of Police Vanessa Grigsby. “I would like to thank our detectives for their continued hard work and dedication in keeping the Town of Leesburg a safe community.”