ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — An Alexandria man has been charged with killing a high-ranking District of Columbia corrections official.
Police say Dawit Seyoum, 29, has been charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Carolyn Cross, 64, the deputy director of operations for the Department of Corrections.
Alexandria Police spokeswoman Ashley Hildebrandt said Monday that investigators do not believe Cross’ slaying was related to her work as a corrections official, or that Seyoum and Cross knew each other.
Police say they were called Sunday morning to Kenmore Avenue in Alexandria, where they found Cross, an Alexandria resident, dead. Police say an autopsy will be conducted to determine cause of death.
Seyoum was arraigned Monday and appointed a public defender. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October.
Police say this is the fourth homicide in Alexandria in 2014.
District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray issued a statement Monday calling Cross’ death “a terrible loss” for the District and the Department of Corrections.
“Carolyn Cross was a top-notch professional who, in recent years, helped transform the Department of Corrections into a nationally accredited agency,” Gray said.
