"We are very happy. Fairfax County police have done their job," said the son of the owner of the mansion which the incident took place.
On May 17, 2010, Jose Cardona confronted the would-be robbers and grabbed one of their guns, but was shot in the head by one of two intruders, according to court documents. The second alleged robber and driver of the get-away vehicle have NOT been charged.
Jose Cardona was a native of Guatemala, a father of two, and a beloved handyman to the family that employed him.
Court document say Prather and another man, each armed with a semiautomatic pistol, entered the mansion's garage with the intent to rob the owner of a check cashing businesses. Both the son or the owner and Jose Cardona confronted them. Cardona gained control of one of the guns; moments later he was fatally shot in the head by one of the intruders. The robbers fled to waiting pickup truck, driven by a third alleged conspirator.
"Jose was an amazing person. He was like an older brother to me. He's always missed. We think of him every single day," said the son.
eynard L. Prather of Oxon Hill was indicted by a federal grand jury in Alexandria in the home-invasion robbery that ended with the death of Jose Ramiro Rosales Cardona, 39, hailed as a “guardian angel” by the family he died trying to protect.
Prather was indicted of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, use of a firearm in a crime of violence, use of a firearm in a crime of violence causing death, and possession of ammunition by a prohibited person. If convicted, Prather faces a maximum penalty of life in prison or death.
Prosecutors say Prather and at least one other man broke into the garage of the Brar family’s home in Centreville, thinking the family kept large sums of cash there. The Brars operated a check-cashing business in Manassas.
Fairfax Police said that Cardona returned from an errand the morning of May 17, 2010, to find two armed men hiding in the family’s garage. He alerted the family and Cardona was shot in the head in an ensuing struggle.
According to the grand jury indictment and federal court records, Prather allegedly conspired with two unnamed individuals to rob the owner of a check-cashing facility at gunpoint at the store owner’s residence in Centreville, where prosecutors said the conspirators thought the target kept the store’s proceeds.
According to court documents, on May 17, 2010, Prather and an unidentified co-conspirator allegedly drove from Maryland to a shopping center in Virginia, where a third co-conspirator picked them up and dropped them off at the target’s residence.
Court records allege Prather was armed with a semi-automatic gun and entered the target’s garage with his unnamed partner — who also was armed with a semi-automatic gun — to await the target’s arrival.
Prather and the unnamed co-conspirator are accused of confronting Jose Cardona, an employee of the home’s owner, and the owner’s son, when they arrived at the residence. During the struggle, court documents say Cardona was shot and killed by one of the two men.
Police said Cordona, 39, of Manassas was found dead outside the home in the 14200 block of Compton Road after police responded to a call of gunshots.
Cordona, a father of two young children, worked regularly for the Clifton family, whose 9,000-square-foot home is situated on a 10-acre lot.
At a press conference on the one-year anniversary of the shooting, homicide detective Chester Toney told reporters Cordona found two men hiding in the home’s garage and confronted them, along with the mother and a son who lived in the home. He was then fatally shot.
In August, Vincent L. Milhouse, 37, of Fort Washington, Md., also was indicted by a federal grand jury for his alleged role in the event.
According to that indictment, he initially was charged with “making a false declaration to a grand jury.” He is accused of lying about his involvement and his knowledge of the alleged shooters while being questioned under oath at a proceeding before the grand jury.
According to court records, Milhouse’s charges were dismissed in September.
“His perjury charges have been dismissed,” said Peter Carr, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. He decline further comment
Attorney information for Prather was not yet available at press time.
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