An illegal immigrant from El Salvador has been arrested for the fatal carjacking of a 54-year-old grandmother in Virginia on Sunday.
Sharing a picture of the illegal immigrant suspect on X, formerly Twitter, Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin tweeted that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed the suspect arrested for the fatal carjacking was an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who illegally entered the United States as a “gotaway.”
In a Wednesday press release, The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 21-year-old Jose Aguilar-Martinez. According to The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Aguilar-Martinez carjacked 54-year-old Melody Waldecker in Sterling, Virginia, on Sunday. After carjacking the 54-year-old grandmother, the illegal immigrant ran her over and killed her with her own vehicle as he drove away from the scene.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office reported that responding police officers found Waldecker dead at the scene of the crime, while Aguilar-Martinez was arrested roughly 45 minutes later.
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In Wednesday’s press release, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office noted that ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations had already issued a detainer against Aguilar-Martinez. The sheriff’s office explained that the illegal immigrant “appears to be from El Salvador,” had a California driver’s license, and did not have a fixed address.
The 21-year-old illegal immigrant was arraigned for carjacking on Wednesday and is expected to face additional charges in the coming days. The sheriff’s office said Aguilar-Martinez is in custody at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center without bail.
“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,” Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said. “This is another reminder of why it is essential that localities collaborate with our federal counterparts charged with enforcing U.S. immigration laws.”
According to The Post Millennial, while law enforcement authorities have not yet revealed when Aguilar-Martinez entered the United States, his designation by ICE as a “gotaway” means that the 21-year-old illegal immigrant was not previously apprehended by Border Patrol agents.
The fatal carjacking of a grandmother by an illegal immigrant comes as the United States is experiencing an unprecedented level of illegal immigration under the Biden-Harris administration. The Post Millennial reported that more than eight million illegal immigrants have entered the United States under the Biden-Harris administration. According to data from Customs and Border Protection, roughly 1.7 million illegal immigrants have been labeled as “gotaways.”
