Gang-Related Assault At Prince William County Jail Leads to Second Of 2 Sentences

MANASSAS, VA — A gang-related assault that left an inmate bloody at the Prince William County jail has led to sentences for two MS-13 members.

Brian Hernandez Diaz and Jaime Garcia Mendoza were identified as two people who attacked another inmate at the Prince William County Adult Detention Center in Manassas on July 24, 2023. Hernandez Diaz was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Sept. 26, 2024. Garcia Mendoza received a 10-year sentence last Thursday.

"The identification, arrest, and conviction of these two individuals was possible due to the cooperation of many witnesses, video surveillance, and solid criminal investigative work," said Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney Amy Ashworth in a statement. "We will continue to focus our office's resources on prosecuting those that commit violent acts, especially gang violence."

Jail officers had responded to an inmate's cry for help in the early morning of July 24, 2023. They observed a person, later identified as Garcia Mendoza, running back to his cell. In the victim's cell, officers found the victim bleeding from his face and chest and blood all over his clothes and bedding. The victim had deep cut and puncture wounds that officials believe were from various sharp-edged weapons. One wound on the victim's chest was consistent with a nail or other narrow sharp object.

The victim was taken to the medical facility in the jail and was later taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital with serious injuries. According to prosecutors, the inmate said multiple people carried out the assault and threatened to kill him. He told authorities that the group held him down and used weapons to stab and cut him all over his body. Two of them were identified as the defendants.

Prosecutors say the attack was unprovoked and likely due to the victim being affiliated with a rival gang of MS-13. Jail officers found bloody clothing in Hernandez Diaz's cell and blood and reddened knuckles on his hands. A 4-inch-long nail with blood was found in the cell's toilet drain.