2 days ago
Mother of VA teen killed in shooting speaks out as jury deliberates fate of alleged gunman
The Brief
The mother of a teen shot and killed in Herndon spoke exclusively with FOX 5 as the suspect accused in her son's murder awaits a verdict.
Jury deliberations started at 12 p.m. on Tuesday and the jury could still have a long way to go.
The suspect, 18-year-old Ismael Cruz Del Cid, is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and using a firearm in commission of a felony.
EXCLUSIVE - The mother of a 14-year-old that was shot and killed spoke exclusively to FOX 5 as a jury deliberated the fate of her son's alleged killer.
FOX 5's Tisha Lewis spoke exclusively to the mother of 14-year-old Michai Malave.
What we know
Jury deliberations started at 12 p.m. on Tuesday and the jury could still have a long way to go. In this type of case, jury deliberation can last anywhere between 24 to 36 hours.
This all comes after 18-year-old Ismael Cruz Del Cid, on the left, underwent a jury trial after admitting to the fatal shooting that took place in March 2024.
The shooting happened on the 1300 block of Coppermine Road in Herndon. Del Cid is accused of fatally shooting Malave and another teen who survived. Investigators say this was not a random shooting and that Del Cid and the victims knew each other.
Attorneys for the defendant claimed it was self-defense but Malave was not armed. The Commonwealth Attorney says the shooting was pre-mediated murder.
What they're saying
His family says they're taking it one day at a time. They just want this trauma to end.
Malave's mother tells FOX 5 she's doing her best to navigate the grief and the pain that comes with losing a child.
"I'm not sure how we're navigating it other than with the grace of God and just family. I'm in other grief groups with mothers who have lost their children the same way and that helps me get through. I'm mostly still in the shock of disbelief sometimes. A part of my mind will believe that he's still at a friend's house and it will hit me that he's gone and it's just terrible," said Jenna Malave, Michai Malave's mother.
What's next
The jury will resume deliberations at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
Del Cid is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and using a firearm in commission of a felony.
