Investigators said the victim was found with multiple stab wounds outside apartment buildings on Farrington Avenue.
HUNTINGTON, Va. — Fairfax County police arrested a 16-year-old boy this week after investigators connected him to the fatal stabbing of a 19-year-old man outside an apartment complex in the Huntington area.
Police identified the victim as Auner Chavez Diaz of Alexandria. Officers were called to the 2200 block of Farrington Avenue around 12:15 a.m. on May 9 after receiving reports of a stabbing near apartment buildings. According to investigators, officers arriving at the scene found Diaz suffering from multiple stab wounds to his upper body. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene. Authorities said the suspect fled before police arrived.
Detectives from the Fairfax County Police Department’s Major Crimes Bureau spent several days investigating the homicide before arresting the juvenile suspect on May 13. Police said the teenager and Diaz knew each other before the incident, though investigators have not publicly discussed what may have caused the confrontation. The suspect was charged with first-degree murder and taken to the Fairfax County Juvenile Detention Center. Officials said he is currently being held on a detention order pending further court proceedings.
The area where the stabbing occurred sits within a busy residential section of Fairfax County near the Huntington Metro station and the Alexandria border. Residents reported seeing police vehicles, investigators and crime scene tape around the apartment buildings in the hours after the killing. Some neighbors said detectives canvassed the area for witnesses overnight while forensic investigators processed evidence near sidewalks and parking areas surrounding the buildings. Police have not confirmed whether surveillance video or witness statements directly linked the teenager to the crime.
Investigators have released limited information about the events leading up to the stabbing. Authorities have not said whether the confrontation began inside one of the apartment buildings or outdoors before turning violent. Police also have not disclosed if any other people were involved or witnessed the attack. Because the suspect is a juvenile, officials have withheld his name from public records and news releases. Under Virginia law, juvenile court proceedings are generally handled differently from adult criminal cases, although serious felony charges can sometimes lead prosecutors to seek transfer to adult court.
Fairfax County police continued working through the week to gather evidence connected to the homicide. Detectives returned to the Farrington Avenue area multiple times after the initial response to conduct follow-up interviews and review the timeline of events. Authorities encouraged residents who may have seen suspicious activity near the apartment complex during the early hours of May 9 to contact investigators. Police said anonymous information can also be submitted through Crime Solvers.
Community members in Huntington said the killing unsettled residents in the neighborhood, which includes apartment communities, small businesses and commuter routes leading into Alexandria and Washington. Several residents described the overnight police response as unusually large for the area. Fairfax County officials have not announced plans for additional patrols connected to the case, but police said the investigation remains ongoing as detectives continue examining physical evidence and witness accounts.
The 16-year-old suspect remains in juvenile detention while Fairfax County investigators continue building the homicide case. Authorities have not released details about upcoming hearings or additional possible charges.
Author note: Last updated May 16, 2026.