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Indictments handed up in Montgomery Co. high school students’ murders

By Kate Ryan

WASHINGTON — There have been indictments in the June murders of two Montgomery County high school students who were fatally shot in Montgomery Village, Maryland, hours before they were set to graduate.

The bodies of Northwest High School students Shadi Adi Najjar, 17, and Artem Ziberov, 18, were found inside a Honda Civic in the 8200 block of Gallery Court in Montgomery Village, Maryland, on June 5. They were killed hours before graduation.

Court records show 25-year-old Jose Canales Yanez, of Gaithersburg, was indicted on seven counts, including first-degree murder. Indictments also were handed up against Roger Garcia, 19, of Germantown, and Edgar Garcia Gaona, 24, of Gaithersburg, according to Ramon Korionoff, spokesman for the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Gaona faces eight counts, including being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The three men were arrested last month.

Prosecutors say the three men lured Najjar and Ziberov to a neighborhood in Montgomery Village on the pretext that they wanted to buy graduation tickets.

WTOP’s Sarah Beth Hensley contributed to this report.

How the ‘Juventus Way’ helped young Montgomery Co. soccer players during pandemic

By Dave Johnson
When play resumes June 20 in Italy's Serie A, Juventus will be in first place and looking to secure its 68th league championship. If you're not familiar with one of the world's most famous soccer teams, think the New York Yankees of Italian soccer. But all its glamour and success is matched with true character and commitment for the way the game is played. That's not just limited to the team in Italy, but extends to a global network of youth clubs, including the Montgomery County, Maryland-based Juventus Academy DC Metro.
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