Esmeraldo Martinez De La Cruz / Photo courtesy MCPD
Police said a New York man was arrested in Virginia after a series of crimes that started with a hit-and-run in Gaithersburg.
On Monday morning, first responders went to the scene of a hit-and-run in Gaithersburg, according to the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD). Witnesses reported seeing a male and child walking away from a Toyota Scion, which was revealed to have been reported stolen from New York City.
About an hour later, a Gaithersburg resident reported their Kia Forte was stolen from in front of their home.
A few hours after that, officers responded to a reported home invasion in Germantown, in which the victim told police he heard a noise inside his home and found a man and 4-year-old girl. The man said his daughter needed to use the bathroom. He was armed and stole things before stealing the victim’s pickup truck.
According to police, investigators determined that the suspect, identified as Esmeraldo Martinez De La Cruz, 32, and his 4-year-old daughter were reported missing from New York City.
That same day in the afternoon, police in Virginia found the stolen pickup truck and tried to stop it. Martinez drove while firing multiple shots at officers, and the pursuit went on for almost 60 miles before the truck crashed into a guardrail. MCPD was not involved in the pursuit.
Virginia State Police arrested Martinez without incident. There were no injuries to his daughter, or to any officers or civilians.
According to police, Martinez faces charges in Montgomery County including home invasion, armed robbery, auto theft, and neglect of a minor, among other offenses.
He was charged in Virginia with multiple counts of attempted-murder of a law enforcement officer, possession of stolen property, and child neglect. He is currently being held in Virginia.
