Illegal Alien ‘gotaway’ Charged with Carjacking, Running Over and Killing Maryland Woman

The man accused of stealing a 54-year-old Maryland woman’s car in broad daylight over the weekend in Virginia on Sunday, and then running her over and killing her, is a Salvadoran national who is living the U.S. illegally as a “gotaway,” according to local and federal law enforcement.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office released the identity of the suspected carjacker, 21-year-old Jose Aguilar-Martinez, on Tuesday.

The Sheriff’s Office stated that Aguilar-Martinez had no fixed address but had been most recently residing in Sterling, Va.

Loudoun Sherriff’s deputies responded to the fatal carjacking at about 11:40 a.m. on Sunday in Sterling.

The victim, 54-year-old Melody Waldecker of Silver Spring, Maryland, was pronounced dead at the scene as a result of what the Sheriff’s Office believes was the suspect striking her with the stolen vehicle.

Aguilar-Martinez was charged with carjacking, a felony, and is being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on no bond.

The investigation into the fatal carjacking is ongoing, and more charges are expecting, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office stated on Tuesday.

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) for Washington, D.C., told Fox 5 D.C. that Aguilar-Martinez is originally from El Salvador and entered the U.S. illegally without being inspected by immigration authorities — what is commonly referred to as a “gotaway.”

ERO Washington lodged an immigration detainer against Aguilar on July 29 with the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center in Leesburg, Virginia, federal authorities told Fox.

According to Border Patrol data, there were a total of 670,674 illegal border crossers classified as “gotaways” in fiscal year 2023, and about 175,00 in fiscal year 2024 as of May.