‘A heartless, purposeful decision to end someone’s life’: Man convicted in 2021 shooting that left a teenager dead in Annandale

A man was convicted Thursday in a shooting that left a teenager dead in Annandale Virginia Ezequiel Diaz-Mondragon is facing life in prison for the first-degree murder of Anthony Tony Benitez on Feb He was also convicted of using a firearm in the commission of a felony which carries a three-year mandatory minimum sentence for a firearm charge This was a heartless purposeful decision to end someone s life Fairfax County Commonwealth s Attorney Steve Descano announced in a comment Prosecutors explained that Diaz-Mondragon and two others who were part of a group drove through the Fairmont Gardens apartment complex in Annandale to find those of a rival group because of issues they had with each other Upon arrival they determined Benitez and another teen identified as OM in the parking lot of the complex and started shooting at them Prosecutors mentioned Diaz-Mondragon shot Benitez in the back of the neck Benitez was pronounced dead at the scene despite efforts by exigency personnel to revive him I am aghast at how random and premeditated this killing was Descano revealed The defendant set out that night to hunt down someone anyone who he deemed to be associated with a specific group It is the kind of despicable crime that has no place in Fairfax County Diaz-Mondragon will be sentenced on Nov Source