In a tragic incident that unfolded in Virginia last week, a woman was fatally struck by her own vehicle, allegedly stolen by an illegal immigrant.
The suspect, identified as a Salvadoran national, was reportedly in possession of a driver's license issued in California, a state that permits illegal migrants to obtain such licenses.
According to Newsweek, the victim, Melody Waldecker, 54, was exiting a 7-Eleven convenience store in Sterling on July 28 when she was hit by her own car, which was then driven away from the scene. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect as 21-year-old Jose Aguilar-Martinez, who is in the country illegally.
Sheriff Mike Chapman expressed his grief over the incident, stating, "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." Waldecker, a mother of four and grandmother to eight, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Aguilar-Martinez was apprehended shortly after the incident, which occurred around 11:39 a.m. on Sunday. He now faces charges of felony carjacking and is being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center without bond. The Sheriff's Office anticipates additional charges.
Sheriff Chapman revealed to local outlet ABC 7 that Waldecker had traveled from her home in Maryland to visit her mother, who is in a rehabilitation nursing home in Loudoun. He lamented, "[She] came out to help her out and the next thing you know she comes out of the 7-Eleven and that's the end of her life. Tragic. Should've never happened."
The suspect, who had been residing in Sterling, possessed a driver's license from California, with a Los Angeles address listed. This fact puzzled Sheriff Chapman, who told reporters, "The fact that he had a California driver's license is perplexing to me."
It was reported that Aguilar-Martinez was arrested last month on a public intoxication charge. The Sheriff's Office had alerted ICE at the time that he was in the country illegally. However, ICE did not issue a detainer following the public intoxication arrest, according to Chapman.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has since issued a detainer for Aguilar-Martinez, indicating their intention to take custody of the suspect at a later date. James Covington, ERO Washington, D.C. spokesperson, stated, "Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that protects the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of our communities and the integrity of our immigration laws."
The Loudoun Sheriff's office regularly cooperates with Homeland Security Investigations and ICE, who have issued 479 detainers for non-citizens arrested in the county over fiscal years 2023 and 2024. Of these, 248 had been retrieved by ICE, with 96 deported so far.
Sheriff Chapman underscored the importance of this cooperation, stating, "This is another reminder of why it is essential that localities collaborate with our federal counterparts charged with enforcing U.S. immigration laws."
Since October 2023, the start of the current fiscal year, ICE has arrested over 28,000 suspected illegal immigrants, with 65,983 removals conducted in that time. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in managing illegal immigration and its potential consequences.
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