Loudoun County, VA (July 31, 2024): The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) has confirmed that Mr. Jose Aguilar-Martinez, the suspect in the fatal carjacking on July 28, 2024, in Sterling, is an undocumented non-citizen. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detainer has been since issued for him by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Mr. Aguilar-Martinez appears to be from El Salvador, has a driver’s license issued by the state of California, and has no fixed address but was recently residing in Sterling.
Mr. Aguilar-Martinez was arraigned on the carjacking charge on July 30, and the Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney is expected to file additional charges. He remains in the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on no bond.
“This is a horrific tragedy, and we mourn the death of Melody Waldecker as the result of the heinous actions by a suspect in our nation illegally,” said Sheriff Mike Chapman. “This is another reminder of why it is essential that localities collaborate with our federal counterparts charged with enforcing U.S. immigration laws,” he added.
The LCSO cooperates with HSI as a matter of practice, and ICE issued 479 detainers for non-citizens arrested in Loudoun County for other offenses in the nearly two-year period of federal FY23 and FY24 YTD. Consistent with the law, ICE retrieved 248 of them and 96 were ultimately deported.
Contact:
Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office
Media Relations and Communications Section
703-771-5089
Sheriffs_PIO@loudoun.gov
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