Following a fatal stabbing in the north Springfield area, Fairfax County Police issued a warrant for 37-year-old Springfield resident Alcides Reyes of the 7000 block of Rhoden Court in connection with the stabbing death of 27-year-old Juan Carlos Cruz-Raudales of Woodbridge.
On Sunday, Feb. 8, police were called to the scene of the Springfield Square apartments on an unlawful entry call and discovered blood in the hallway of the apartment building on Rhoden Court. The blood trail led to the body of a deceased male, later determined to be Raudales, 27, of the 15000 block of Postillion Terrace in the Woodbridge area.
The cause of death was determined to be multiple stab wounds to the upper body, according to the search warrant, served on Monday, Feb. 9.
When police arrived on Feb. 8, they found an unconscious male, later determined to be dead by rescue personnel on the scene. Officers confiscated a kitchen knife with what appeared to be blood on it, as well as photographs, a wallet, two other knives, a metal fork, papers, a jacket, miscellaneous swabs of red stains, a cordless telephone, 8 cents, and the kitchen sink with a section of counter, according to the search warrant.
According to police, the suspect, Reyes, is described as Hispanic, 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 192 pounds. He has black, thinning hair and brown eyes. Reyes may be accompanied by his girlfriend, 31-year-old Maria Turcios, also of Rhoden Court.
The staff in the rental office would not comment on the incident.
"No information. We know nothing," said one worker from a back office.
News of the stabbing alarmed a women at the Positive Image salon across Backlick Road from the crime scene. Loitering in the parking lot of the Hechinger Plaza, an open plaza where Positive Image is located, is common.
"There's several times I've had people watch me go to my car," said salon worker Diane Ducheman.
She even called the police on occasion.
"They have responded and made people move along," Ducheman said.
The women hadn't heard about the stabbing, though.
"That's scary news," said salon manager Rita Anderson.
At the Burger King at the corner of Backlick and Hechinger Drive, the manager did see the police that day. She did not want to give her name.
"The police did come around. They had the dogs," she said.
The manager also saw the Fairfax County Police investigating the area north of the Springfield Square apartments, by the Texaco and McDonald's restaurant. She did not know if it was part of the same investigation. Claudia Maldonado, an employee in the shopping center across the street, sees police driving around the area from time to time.
"There's always accidents on Backlick. Once in a while, they'll drive back and forth," she said.
Anyone with information on Reyes' whereabouts is asked to call police at 703-691-2131, or Crime Solvers at 1-800-673-2777.