Suicide Victim Linked To Herndon Homicides Identified By Police

RESTON, VA — Fairfax County Police identified Jose Palacios as the man who fell to his death Saturday morning from a Reston Town Center parking garage. Palacios has also been linked to three homicides that took place in Herndon.

Officers responded around 5:51 a.m. for the report of a man experiencing a mental health crisis on top of a parking garage in 11900 block of Democracy Drive in Reston, according to Sgt. Hudson Bull, of FCPD's Public Affairs Bureau. At 6:52 a.m., Palacios fell to his death.

That same morning, Fairfax officers asked Town of Herndon Police to conduct a welfare check at a residence in town based on information they received from Palacios before his death.

Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard confirmed the discovery of three homicide victims around 7:30 a.m. Saturday at a residence in Herndon.

"After a preliminary investigation and assistance from neighbors, officers made entry into a home in the 500 block of Florida Avenue where they discovered a very horrific scene," DeBoard said, during a Saturday afternoon news conference." The bodies of three individuals were victims of an apparent homicide."

Herndon Police later confirmed the victims as a woman and two juveniles.

On Sunday, family members revealed the identity of the victims in an interview with The Washington Post. Erlinda Gutierrez said that 34-year-old Claudia Menjivar was a good mother to her two children. Guitierrez's brother, who used to be in a relationship with Menjivar, was the father of Dayana Gutierrez, 12, and Carlos Josué Gutierrez, 10, who were students at Herndon Elementary School.

Lisa Herndon, an HPD spokeswoman, confirmed Tuesday that the medical examiner's report had determined the three deaths in Herndon to be homicides. She added the manner of their deaths was not being released at that time.

Herndon also confirmed that the the three homicides and the suicide case, which is being investigated by FCPD, are related. She said the suicide victim had a relationship with the adult female in the triple-homicide case.

Dora Menjivar recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to pay for the funeral expenses for her sister Claudia Menjivar and her children. Money will also be used to support Claudia Menjivar's 16-year-old son, who lives with his elderly grandparents in El Salvador. As of 4:30 p.m, on Thursday, the campaign had raised more than $21,000 toward its goal of $30,000.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides crisis counselors 24/7 both through 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or via their Crisis Text Line (Text Hello to 741741). The services are free and confidential.

Additional resources can be found at the National Institute of Mental Health's website at nimh.nih.gov/suicideprevention.