NATIONAL CITY, Calif. (KGTV) — Posters and members of multiple law enforcement agencies filled a room inside of the National City Police Department as authorities revealed a major arrest on Friday.
The double homicide of two teenagers, 18-year-old Edwin Barrera and 16-year-old Gillian Aguilera, after a Halloween party in Oct. 2022 went unsolved for more than eight months.
Now, National City Police have arrested two men, Fernando Lopez and Alberto Romero-Ramirez, both 18, and charged them with the murders.
RELATED: Neighbors react to double homicide investigation in National City
Lopez and Romero-Ramirez were both 17 at the time of the murders, so they are being charged in juvenile court.
If they remain in juvenile court, they could serve time up until the age of 25.
However, the District Attorney's office is working to prosecute the two as adults in order to maximize their sentencing.
"Whether it takes weeks, months or years, you will be brought to justice. And what you might think is glamorous, is not at all glamorous. It is cruel and it is cowardly," said Summer Stephan, the district attorney for San Diego County.
However, the investigation goes far beyond these two suspects.
"This case is also about a sophisticated group of suspect distributing guns, using drugs, and terrorizing our neighborhoods," said David Nisleit, the San Diego Police Chief.
Jose Tellez, the National City Police Chief, says other law enforcement agencies got involved in the investigation back in March, including the FBI.
RELATED: Reward offered for suspect who killed two San Diego teens after Halloween party
A poster at the press conference labeled "Operation Broken Bandz" displayed the faces of five people and four silhouettes representing juveniles who have been arrested.
The five people pictured have been federally charged on drug and gun related crimes, including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Randy Grossman, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, said at one point, 18 pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl were discovered.
The suspects were arrested in National City, San Diego, and Chula Vista.
"We will never accept this kind of violence as normal," said Chief Nisleit.
Investigators believe this crime group could be connected to another unsolved case: The attempted homicides of a 17-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man back in February.
The family of the 17-year-old, Davy Astorga, told ABC 10News the following on Friday:
On behalf of Davy and the family we are happy to hear that there’s been an arrest made for the double homicide. We are hoping that this will lead to justice for Davy as well. We still hope that if anybody has information you contact the authorities as soon as possible anything that you can remember or recall may lead to arrest and justice for Davy. We hope if there is an arrest, they are charge accordingly for the attempted murder of Davy.
Chief Tellez is continuing to urge anyone with information that might help investigators to contact National City Police or remain anonymous through Crime Stoppers.
The two men charged with the double homicide from October are due back in court on July 7.
