On Thursday, February 20, Deputy First Class Roush of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) initiated a pursuit of a suspicious white Nissan that turned out to be stolen ended with the arrest of four suspects at Sheetz in Gaithersburg.
Deputy Roush began pursuit of the van, which turned out to be stolen, near Route 85. The driver attempted to evade police, reaching speeds of 100 mph on I-270, and even rammed another vehicle at a red light during the chase. The pursuit was eventually called off, but with the assistance of the Maryland State Police and Montgomery County Police, four suspects were apprehended at a Sheetz gas station. A search of the stolen van revealed crack cocaine, fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia.
Full press release from FCSO: “On February 20, 2025, at approximately 9:20 PM, Deputy First Class (DFC) Roush was on patrol near Route 85 and Grove Road when he observed a white Nissan van behaving suspiciously. The van attempted to evade police by turning onto a gravel path behind an area shopping center. Upon running the vehicle’s tags, DFC Roush received a stolen vehicle alert and initiated a pursuit with assistance from other responding deputies.
After refusing to stop, the suspect accelerated onto I-270 northbound at speeds reaching 100 mph. The pursuit continued through Frederick and Montgomery counties. During the pursuit, Maryland State Police Aviation was requested to assist. As the suspects continued toward Shady Grove Road and Briardale Road, the driver intentionally rammed a vehicle at a red light before continuing to flee. At this point, FCSO ended the pursuit while Maryland State Police Trooper 3 maintained aerial surveillance. With the assistance from Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD), officers apprehended four suspects at a Sheetz located at 751 Progress Way.
FCSO Deputies responded to the scene and conducted a search of the suspect’s vehicle. Deputies recovered crack cocaine, fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia inside the van. The driver of the vehicle was also found by MCPD officers inside the Sheetz attempting to dispose of narcotics in a restroom. The stolen van, found with significant front-end damage, had rammed a vehicle with three occupants inside. Two of the victims were transported to an area hospital for treatment.
All four suspects were arrested and transported to the Frederick County Adult Detention Center Central Booking. “Two of the four suspects taken into custody were found to be in the United States illegally through our 287(g) Program during the central booking process. Those same two suspects were released on personal recognizance on initial appearance before a District Court Commissioner. These two individuals are being held as removable criminal aliens only because ICE detainers were placed on them by 287(g)-trained correctional officers. Without those detainers, they would have been released immediately, potentially returning to criminal activity or disappearing before trial,” said Sheriff Jenkins, “This is yet another example of the importance of the 287(g) Program to local public safety in protecting our community. I can’t emphasize strongly enough; just how effective and valuable the 287(g) Program is now and has been over the sixteen-year partnership. I really hope the public thinks about this example involving these criminal acts and realizes the importance of the program.”
Shawn Elswick (Driver), 25, of Riverdale, MD:
Reny Escobar (Passenger), 24-years-old, of Frederick:
Walter Caberera Miranda (Passenger), 28-years-old:
Jose Torres Juarez, 19-years-old:
