Source: Office of United States Attorneys
WASHINGTON – Alvin Alexis Cruz Garcia, 27, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty on June 6, 2025, by a Superior Court jury for the beating death of Ramon Gomez Yanez at the Ogden Market in Northwest, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Cruz Garcia was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder while armed following a 4-day trial. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman scheduled sentencing for August 1, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 8:28 p.m. on March 23, 2021, 38-year-old Ramon Gomez Yanez, parked his car and made his usual stop at the local food market, Ogden Market, located at 1500 Ogden Street NW. When Mr. Gomez came back outside, the defendant was standing on the sidewalk and urinating much too close to the back of Mr. Gomez’s car. The Ogden Market surveillance video, with no audio available, showed some exchange of words and then showed the defendant punch Mr. Gomez down to the ground. While Mr. Gomez was down on the sidewalk, the defendant kicked and punched Mr. Gomez multiple times in the head area, and then just walked away. Mr. Gomez died at the scene from his head and neck injuries.
Although there were no witnesses to the homicide and no witnesses to identify the defendant from the Ogden Market video, MPD and Metro Transit Police tracked the defendant through a series of CCTVs along the 14th Street corridor and through the metro transit system. These efforts ultimately led MPD to a witness that could identify the defendant in a metro rail car video and to other corroborating identification evidence to build the case.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the Metro Transit Police Department.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jin Park and Katrenia Shelly.