Alexander Gomez-Enamorado | Homicide Watch DC

Jury: Alexander Gomez-Enamorado Guilty in Miguel Ventura's Death

Ivan Natividad — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 17:00:06 -0400

Jurors found Alexander Gomez-Enamorado guilty Friday of two separate counts of murder in connection with the 2010 stabbing death of 54-year-old Miguel Ventura.

Jurors in the case deliberated for approximately one day before delivering their verdict around 3:15 p.m. Friday. Gomez-Enamorado was found guilty of first-degree murder while armed, felony murder, conspiracy, robbery, burglary, tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice.

On Nov. 8, 2010, Ventura was found suffering from multiple stab wounds, lying on the floor of a restaurant he owned in the 1200 block of 11th Street Northwest. Ventura later died at the hospital.

Gomez-Enamorado was arrested over two years later, after calling police the night of the murder to say he had information about the case. Reyes, his friend and alleged accomplice, fled to Mexico.

During trial, Gomez-Enamorado's defense attorneys claimed Reyes was guilty of Ventura's murder, and that Gomez-Enamorado had no idea that Reyes was going to stab Ventura. But prosecutors argued that Ventura's death was a robbery gone awry, a robbery that Gomez-Enamorado planned with Reyes four days before Ventura was murdered.

One of Ventura's five daughters who attended the entirety of the trial wept in court after hearing the verdict, whispering, "Thank god. Thank you."

"I'm pleased. I'm very happy," she said after the verdict. "We cried. We prayed for him, and now my father can rest and be peaceful."

While prosecutors were able to convict Gomez-Enamorado, Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Kirschner told Homicide Watch D.C. that Reyes is not off the radar.

"Our next step is to extradite Reyes from Mexico," Kirschner said.

Gomez-Enamorado is scheduled to be sentenced November 8.

Jury Deliberations Begin in Alexander Gomez-Enamorado Murder Trial

Ivan Natividad — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 19:26:05 -0400

Prosecutors have said that 54-year-old Miguel Ventura died in a robbery gone bad, but the defense attorney for one of the men accused of killing him says that the real motive was sex.

In closing arguments Thursday, defense attorney Liyah Brown said her client, Alexander Gomez-Enamorado and his friend, Jose Reyes, were with Ventura the day he was murdered to perform sexual acts at his restaurant in exchange for money.

"They were there to have a paid threesome, and something went wrong," Brown said. "When Mr. Gomez entered that restaurant, he didn't know what he was signing up for."

Ventura was found Nov. 8, 2010, at approximately 4:00 pm suffering from multiple stab wounds in a restaurant he owned in the 1200 block of 11th Street Northwest. He was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead. Gomez-Enamorado, 23, was arrested on May 31, 2012, after calling police to say he had information about the case. Reyes, the alleged accomplice, is believed to be in Mexico.

The statements about sex were made as part of Gomez-Enamorado's defense's closing arguments. The case concluded and jurors were sent to deliberate at about 1 p.m. Thursday. Closing statements from prosecutors were given Wednesday afternoon.

Gomez-Enamorado, 23, is charged with three counts of felony murder while armed, conspiracy, robbery, burglary, tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice.

During trial, prosecutors said that Gomez-Enamorado and Reyes had been planning to rob Ventura four days before his death.

But Brown's accounting for the events leading to murder was different.

In closing arguments she told jurors that Gomez-Enamorado and Ventura were friends who had a sexual history together, and that Gomez-Enamorado would often go to the restaurant to "have sex, drink some beers," and sometimes recruit young men like him to have sex with Ventura.

The day Ventura was murdered, Brown said Gomez-Enamorado brought Reyes to meet Ventura and have sex in exchange for money. Gomez-Enamorado had no idea what Reyes was going to do, she said.

According to Brown, Reyes and Ventura watched pornographic videos together shortly before Ventura was stabbed. Brown said Gomez-Enamorado was apart from the others, sitting at the bar watching a movie and drinking beer, when Reyes and Ventura got into the struggle that led to Reyes stabbing Ventura over 10 times.

"This is all in the interview transcripts of Mr. Gomez talking to the police during the investigation," Brown said. "These are hundreds of pages of transcript that the government doesn't want you to see."

In a police interrogation video shown at trial, Gomez-Enamorado can be heard telling detectives that Ventura offered him and Reyes money for sex. He said the three of them drank beer and watched a sex tape in the back of the restaurant.

Gomez-Enamorado said that he didn't like the sexual acts Ventura had proposed, so he went to the front of the restaurant and sat at a table. Five minutes later, Gomez-Enamorado said, Ventura charged from the back of the restaurant yelling that Reyes had stabbed him.

Jury deliberations are scheduled to continue Friday morning.

Prosecution: Gomez-Enamorado Never Planned to Let Miguel Ventura Out of Restaurant Alive

Megan Arellano — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 19:59:19 -0400

When Miguel Ventura was stabbed repeatedly to his death at his downtown DC restaurant in November 2010, it was a robbery attempt gone awry. Soon it will be up to jurors to decide whether that makes sense, and whether one of the men prosecutors say is responsible for the crime, is guilty of murder.

In a trial that has lasted one week, prosecutors have argued that that man, Alexander Gomez-Enamorado never planned to let Venture walk out of Izalco, Ventura's restaurant, alive. Gomez-Enamorado and accomplice, Jose Reyes, had been planning the robbery for four days, they said, and have charged Gomez-Enamorado with three counts of felony murder while armed, conspiracy, robbery, burglary, tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice. The suspected accomplice,Reyes, is believed to be in Mexico.

Jurors in the case heard these closing arguments from prosecutor Wednesday after one week of testimony; arguments from the defense are expected Thursday morning.

In the arguments, prosecutors reminded jurors of testimony, in part from MPD Detective Sean Caine, that Gomez-Enamorado, though he spoke frequently with law enforcement, was not always truthful. The night of the murder, prosecutors said, Gomez called 911 from L'Enfant Plaza Metro station and told operators that he had information about a murder. That day, Gomez-Enamorado told detectives that Reyes stabbed Ventura in the restaurant kitchen, that Gomez-Enamorado didn't have his cell phone that night and that Reyes forced Gomez-Enamorado to rob Ventura.

In a second interview, detectives asked Gomez-Enamorado about phone records showing Gomez-Enamorado calling Ventura and Reyes hours before the murder.

During the trial, Special Agent Paul Timko testified that he spoke with Gomez-Enamorado on May 24, 2013, shortly before Gomez-Enamorado was arrested. Timko said that during this interview, Gomez-Enamorado told him that, together with Reyes, the two men had planned to rob Ventura for four days. But Gomez-Enamorado told Timko that when Gomez-Enamorado and Reyes reached the restaurant, Gomez-Enamorado "didn't want to go through with the robbery at all" in his mind.

Jurors also heard from Gomez-Enamorado's cellmate, who testified as part of a plea agreement. That man, Romulo Portillo, said Gomez-Enamorado spoke of the murder, saying that he and his "classmate" Jose Reyes convinced Ventura to take them to his restaurant on November 8. At the restaurant, Reyes chased Ventura with a knife, in an attempt to rob him, Gomez-Enamorado told Portillo. Then, Gomez said that Ventura managed to take the knife away from Reyes and began running toward Gomez-Enamorado, who was seated at the bar, Portillo testified. Gomez-Enamorado grabbed Ventura from behind and held him until Reyes took the knife and began to stab Ventura in the neck, face and eyes.

In opening statements last week, defense attorneys argued Gomez-Enamorado had no idea that Reyes was going to kill Ventura. They say he was simply seated at the bar that morning when Reyes charged from the back of the restaurant holding a knife to Ventura’s throat.

The defense's closing arguments will begin Thursday in Judge Canan's courtroom.

Ivan Natividad contributed reporting to this story.

Medical Examiner: Miguel Ventura's Botched Robbery Death was Survivable

Megan Arellano — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 21:47:13 -0400

It was a restaurant robbery gone bad. And it left 54-year-old Miguel Angel Ventura dead. The man who wielded the knife, stabbing Ventura at least ten times, is in Mexico. The owner of the knife, on trial for murder.

At least, that's the way prosecutors tell it.

In opening statements today, prosecutors told jurors that Jose Reyes and Alexander Gomez-Enamorado planned together to rob Ventura in the early morning hours of Nov. 8, 2010. They were armed with a knife. But when things went wrong, Reyes stabbed Ventura, at least ten times, including once through his right eye.

The knife belonged to Gomez-Enamorado, and prosecutors said Wednesday that he, the only one on trial, is guilty. Reyes, believed to be in Mexico, has not been arrested.

But defense attorneys say this story is wrong. That Gomez-Enamorado had no idea that Reyes was going to kill Ventura. That he was simply seated at the bar that morning when Reyes charged from the back of the restaurant holding a knife to Ventura's throat.

Gomez-Enamorado is charged with three counts of felony murder while armed, conspiracy, robbery, burglary, tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice in connection with Ventura's death. Jurors heard opening statements in the case Wednesday morning.

Margarita O'Donnell, Gomez-Enamorado’s defense attorney, said that "nobody could have known” what Reyes was about to do, and that Gomez-Enamorado was "absolutely terrified" by his associate's actions. O'Donnell said that Gomez-Enamorado was then "forced" by Reyes to go to New York immediately after the stabbing, but "he came right back to D.C. and told the police" about the crime he witnessed.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Kirschner told jurors Wednesday that over the course of the 18-month investigation Gomez-Enamorado lied to police to minimize his role in Ventura's death, but did say the knife was his.

Ventura was found fatally stabbed at a Northwest DC restaurant Nov. 8, 2010.

Deputy Medical Examiner Joseph Pestarn testified Wednesday that Ventura's death was ruled a homicide due to "multiple blunt and sharp force injuries." Pestarn identified 10 stab wounds, a broken nose, a broken cheekbone, and multiple wounds that cut the skin. Pestarn characterize a wound to the left side of Ventura's forehead as "unusual" because it went "through the skull and injured the brain." But none of Ventura's wounds were instantly fatal, Pestarn testified. Instead, Ventura likely lost consciousness and died from loss of blood. With prompt medical attention, Pestarn said, Ventura "could have survived."

Ventura's daughter, Opelia Ventura, told jurors that on the afternoon of her father's murder she tried calling him, but he didn't answer. She said it was "unusual," so she stopped by the restaurant.

She said her father was left unrecognizable.

"I said to myself, it can't be him," Opelia said.

The trial is scheduled to resume Thursday in Judge Russell Canan’s courtroom.

Suspect in Downtown Restaurant Stabbing Considers Plea Offer

Laura Amico — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 10:56:17 -0400

A man suspected in a violent stabbing at a downtown restaurant postponed his preliminary hearing Friday in order to have more time to consider a plea offer from prosecutors.

Alexander Gomez-Enamorado is suspected of first-degree murder in the case. Prosecutors say he provided a knife used to fatally stab Miguel Angel Ventura in Nov. 2010. The man police believe wielded the knife is believed to have fled across the US-Mexico border.

The plea was not read into the court record Friday.

According to charging documents in the case, Gomez-Enamorado was arrested after being given an FBI polygraph test. In the test he said he and the other suspect, Jose Reyes, had planned to rob Ventura.

The charging documents claim that Gomez-Enamorado and Reyes were involved in a scheme in which people would receive money or food at the restaurant in exchange for sex.

Charging documents state,

[Gomez-Enamorado] stated that he was introduced to [Ventura] by other individuals from an outreach program. [Gomez-Enamorado] stated that he and others would go to the restaurant and receive money or food in exchange for sexual acts. [Gomez-Enamorado] said that on the night of the offense, he received a call from [Ventura], who asked him to bring a friend to the restaurant, and made arrangements to pick him and Reyes up. [Ventura] picked up Reyes and [Gomez-Enamorado] and brought the back to the restaurant. He said that while in the restaurant, [Ventura] performed oral sex with him and Reyes. He said that Reyes went to the employee’s bathroom and [Ventura] was in the adjacent kitchen area where it was dark. He then heard [Ventura] yell, saw Ventura coming toward him and saw Reyes push him to the floor and begin, stabbing, punching, and kicking the [Ventura].

Gomez-Enamorado is due back in court July 27.

Rebecca Zisser contributed to this report.

Alexander Gomez-Enamorado Ordered Held on First-Degree Murder Charge

Rebecca Zisser — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 20:42:50 -0400

Alexander Gomez-Enamorado was ordered held today pending a preliminary hearing in connection with the stabbing death of Miguel Ventura.

Gomez-Enamorado was arrested at DC Jail Thursday after being given an FBI polygraph test; he's suspected of first-degree murder.

Ventura was stabbed to death on the evening of Nov. 8, 2010 at a restaurant in NW.

According to charing documents in the case, Gomez-Enamorado admitted to having given police false information related to Ventura's death.

He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on June 19.

Charging documents are below.

Note: An earlier version of this post included a copy of the charging documents with only the suspect's home address and telephone numbers redacted. The US Attorney's Office requested that we use a version of the charging documents redacting details of the victim's life. That version, redacted by the US Attorney's Office is posted here. The earlier version is available here.

Maryland Man Arrested in Connection with Fatal 2010 NW DC Stabbing

Laura Amico — Thu, 31 May 2012 12:48:34 -0400

A Maryland man was arrested today in connection with a 2010 homicide in Northwest DC.

Police say 22-year-old Alexander Gomez-Enamorado of Port Republic, Md. stabbed 54-year-old Miguel Ventura of Lanham, Maryland on Nov. 8, 2010 killing him.

Gomez-Enamorado is suspected of first degree murder.

A press release from MPD is below.

May 31, 2012

Arrest Made in Homicide in the 1200 Block of 11th Street, NW

(Washington, DC)-Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch have announced that an arrest has been made in the homicide of Miguel Ventura, which occurred in
the 1200 block of 11th Street, NW.

On Monday, November 8, 2010, at approximately 4:00 pm, units from the Third District responded to the 1200 block of 11th Street, NW for the report of an unconscious person. Upon arriving, they discovered an unresponsive victim suffering from stab wounds. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel arrived and did not find any signs consistent with life.

The decedent was identified as 54 year-old Miguel Ventura of Lanham, Maryland.

On Thursday, May 31, 2012, members of the of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested 22 year-old Alexander Gomez-Enamorado of Port Republic, MD, pursuant to an arrest warrant and charged him with First Degree Murder in the stabbing death of Miguel Ventura.