When two men were gunned down in Alexandria last week, it was the city’s first double homicide in 13 years.
The city, which usually sees a half-dozen homicides a year or less, has had three already. Additionally, a victim’s body was left in an apartment complex dumpster in February.
The homicide rate is “even with last year,” Lt. Jamie Bartlett said. There were five homicides in the city in 2006, three before May, Bartlett said, noting the city is still under last year’s total.
The woman whose body was dumped at a high-rise apartment building in the 5300 block of Holmes Run Parkway is believed to have been killed in Prince William County. Prosecutors there are preparing to try Frederick Ajlan, 26, of Dumfries, with whom Anna Sherman had a personal relationship.
As a result, Alexandria police removed the death from their statistics. Nathan T. Lee, 31, and Mark A. Collins, 28, were shot April 19 on the 800 block of N. Patrick Street, next to the Samuel Madden housing project.
It is an area Alexandria police have devoted extra attention to for the past four or five years, Bartlett said.
“Obviously, this sets us back a bit,” he said. “We need to renew our focus. We’ll be putting more officers in that area.”
Previous attempts to curb nuisance crimes like vandalism and drug use gave officers a chance to meet people in the community. Bartlett says those contacts will help police.
2007 homicides
» Darrell Watson, 19, of Alexandria, charged with two counts of murder in Lee’s and Collins’ April 19 deaths. No motive is known.
» Ajlan, charged with first-degree murder in the beating death of Sherman, 21, of Annandale. Detectives say they believe Sherman died in Dumfries and her body was dumped in Alexandria. Ajlan will be tried in Manassas.
» Derrick A. Wright, 27, of Alexandria, was charged with murder in the Jan. 9 death of Kareem Timmons, 29, of Alexandria. Timmons was killed in the lobby of 108 S. Washington St.
