Suspect in West End double murder claims self-defense and was found naked under a bed

The suspect in a 2022 West End double murder pleaded not guilty in court Monday morning, claiming he killed two construction workers in self-defense.

Francis Deonte Rose admits to fatally shooting construction workers Adrian Dejesus Rivera Guzman, 48, and his stepson, 24-year-old Juan Carlos Anaya Hernandez, on the morning of July 16, 2022, in the northern portion of the former Assembly Alexandria apartment complex in the 200 block from Century Place.

Guzman was shot in the head and later died in hospital. Hernandez was shot in the left collarbone and died at the scene.

Commonwealth’s Attorneys Joseph Martin and Maana Parcham are seeking to convict Rose, 29, of two counts of manslaughter, two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a criminal offense, as well as unlawful entry, destruction of property and burglary .

Martin said Rose’s crimes escalated from a mere burglary to “an unspeakable event,” and that a water break for a group of nearby construction workers on a hot summer morning would “irrevocably change many lives.”

Rose did not respond when photos of Hernandez’s body were published in the court file and shown to the jury Monday in what is expected to be a weeklong trial.

Moore admitted that Rose was the shooter, but said there was no premeditation and that his client acted in self-defense. He said the Commonwealth’s claim that the killings took place in cold blood cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. He also said Rose’s blood was found on the gun, indicating evidence of a struggle, but not an intentional act.

“Mr. Rose had been attacked by two individuals and a third was on his way,” said Moore, who called the incident “a tragedy.”

Burglary and then shots fired

Alexandria police were first notified around 7:30 a.m. that Saturday morning that a suspect wearing dreadlocks, wearing a white T-shirt, black pants and white sneakers was breaking into apartments in the complex.

Police were called at 7:28 a.m. for a report of a burglary at 150 Century Drive, followed by a shots fired call at 8:53 a.m. and then a final burglary call at 9:10 a.m., according to APD reports.

Robert Davis testified that he was sleeping on his couch and was awakened by a stranger in his apartment. He said he didn’t know if Rose was a maintenance worker. Davis said he asked Rose why he was in his apartment and Rose quickly apologized and left. Davis said he then got dressed and saw his front door had been smashed.

Davis said he looked outside his hallway and saw Rose in a neighboring apartment. He told the court he encountered Rose in a hallway a few minutes later and briefly asked him why he was in the building. He said Rose ran away, and Davis says he called the police. During that 911 call, which was shared with the court, Davis reported seeing Rose in the parking lot of the apartment complex checking car doors.

Meanwhile, seven nearby construction workers took a water break while building a retaining wall on the north side of the property.

Jose Rodolfo, 41, said he had worked with Guzman and Hernandez for three months, and that when they took a break, Guzman drove a construction vehicle around the corner and up the hill to get a carton of bottled water. Moments later, he heard a shot and told the jury that he and Hernandez ran to the scene.

Rodolfo testified that he did not see the lead-up to the fight between Rose and Guzman and only reacted after hearing the gunshot. He said Hernandez reached Rose first and witnessed a desperate struggle for control of the gun between his friend and the suspect. He said the gun fell to the ground, Rose stiff-armed Hernandez in the chest with his left hand, picked up the gun with his free right hand and then shot Hernandez point-blank in the left collarbone.

Rodolfo said he was holding a fallen tree branch for defense but was in shock after the shootings and made no attempt to stop Rose.

“When I got the branch, the guy in the white shirt already had the gun and then he shot him (Hernandez), and I just stood there paralyzed,” Rodolfo said through a court-appointed interpreter. “We were all in shock. One of my colleagues called the police.”

APD Officer Phillip Morse was responding to the burglary call when he told the court he heard a series of bangs. Morse said APD was then notified of the shots fired, and he got into his cruiser and drove to the location to find Hernandez face down on an embankment with no pulse and Guzman in labor from a fatal gunshot wound in the head.

Morse, along with other officers, then responded to another 911 call for a burglary at the apartment complex, at 9:10 am. After announcing himself and demanding that everyone inside come out, Morse said a woman and her young child fled the apartment. A Fairfax County K-9 officer was then let in, and shortly after, Morse said the suspect was found stark naked under a bed and screaming after being bitten by the K-9.

“He was completely naked,” Morse said of Rose.

Martin said that Rose’s pants and underwear were later found “crumbled” in the woman’s apartment, and that APD later found his shoes, a bloody white T-shirt with the words “Love is for Everyone” printed on it, and a .45 caliber. Glock with an extended magazine hidden under a balcony behind the building.

Martin said the Virginia Department of Forensic Science will confirm that the clothing and gun belonged to Rose, and that the victims’ DNA was found on his clothing. In addition, he said Rose’s hands showed marks from firing a weapon.

Rose is also suspected of breaking into the same apartment complex three weeks before the incident.

Additionally, Rose was previously scheduled to be tried in Arlington in 2022 on gun and drug charges. The charges were dropped when it was ruled that police conducted an unconstitutional search prior to a 2020 arrest, sparking a conflict between the Arlington police union and the sheriff’s office. Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti.

According to ARLnow, Rose has a history of gun charges. In 2019, he was arrested by the Metropolitan Police in DC and charged with carrying a pistol without a permit, possession of an unregistered firearm and possession of unregistered ammunition. The .45-caliber handgun he allegedly carried in the Columbia Heights neighborhood was seized, according to MPD.

Below is a recording of Alexandria police radio traffic during the July 16 incident.