Gavin Collins, Joshua Hunter, and Handy Colindrez – Photo: Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
Three men were arrested, and two were charged with first-degree murder, in the July 8 shooting death of a Winchester, Va., man whose body was found along the side of a roadway in Sterling.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office announced it had arrested Gavin Collins, 21, of Sterling, and Joshua Hunter, 22, of Woodbridge, in the death investigation of Jose Escobar Menendez.
They were charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit robbery, and two counts of using a firearm while in the commission of a felony, according to a press release.
Collins also faces charges of possession of Schedule I narcotic, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm while in possession of a Schedule I narcotic, and outstanding arrest warrant from Loudoun County, and a probation violation in Prince William County.
According to the sheriff’s office, Menendez had agreed to meet Collins in the area of Emerald Point Terrace in Sterling during the early morning hours of July 8. But both Collins and Hunter showed up.
During the course of their encounter, police allege that Collins and Hunter attempted to rob Menendez, shooting him fatally. The two then fled the scene, stealing Menendez’s car as well.
During the course of the investigation, Menendez’s vehicle was discovered in Prince William County, and a third man, Handry Colindrez, 24, was arrested and charged with grand larceny for allegedly buying the car from Collins and Hunter, reports Loudoun Now. All three suspects are being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center without bond.
According to Instinct magazine, Hunter allegedly worked as an escort through the website Rent.Men for the past two years. A former customer provided a copy of Hunter’s page to a local media outlet. On the site, Hunter used the name “Anthony Adams,” and claimed that he was “a very open person with no hang ups and open to all genders.”
That former customer expressed surprise that Hunter was connected to Menendez’s death.
The investigation remains active, and additional charges may be brought at a future time. Thus far, though, the sheriff’s office is not treating the investigation like a hate crime, although one of Menendez’s friends told local media that she believes the crime was motivated by anti-gay bias.
Anybody who may have additional information in the case is asked to contact Detective M. Grimsley at the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office at (703) 777-1021.
As Democrats celebrated major wins in key state contests on November 4, a wave of out LGBTQ candidates scored victories of their own in local and down-ballot races, further boosting LGBTQ representation in public office.
In Virginia, boosted by Abigail Spanberger's win in the governor's race, Democrats picked up 13 seats in the 100-member House of Delegates, increasing the size of their caucus to 64. All six incumbent LGBTQ delegates who were up for re-election -- Rozia Henson (D-Woodbridge), Laura Jane Cohen (D-Burke), Mark Sickles (D-Franconia), Adele McClure (D-Arlington), Joshua Cole (D-Fredericksburg) and Cia Price (D-Newport News) -- won their races.
An interracial gay couple who run an award-winning farm in King George County, Virginia, say they were the targets of a hate-filled act after someone deliberately dumped medical waste on their property following last week’s state elections.
Kevin Graham, 44, and Dragan Kurbalija, 47, own Gardening Gays Farm, a 27-acre property along U.S. Route 301 where they sell flowers, eggs, seasonal produce, and pasture-raised meats, including lamb and chicken.
They also sell jams, sauces, teas, herbal remedies, local honey, handcrafted candles, and other artisan goods at their on-site store, and share their experiences as farmers on YouTube. The business was recently voted King George County’s “Overall Best Business,” “Best Family-Owned Business,” and “Best Agricultural Business” in a county-sponsored “Best of the Best” contest.
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