A 21-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador, Jose Aguilar-Martinez, has been arrested and charged with felony carjacking in connection with the death of 54-year-old Melody Waldecker, a mother of four and grandmother of eight, in Loudoun County, Virginia. According to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Aguilar-Martinez was issued a driver’s license by the state of California, despite being in the country illegally.
California has been issuing driver’s licenses to illegal aliens since 2015, in an effort to prevent them from being turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for driving without a license. However, this policy has been criticized for allowing individuals who are in the country illegally to remain undetected and potentially commit crimes.
Loudoun County Sheriff Michael Chapman has spoken out about the case, calling it a “horrific tragedy” and emphasizing the need for local law enforcement to work with federal agencies to enforce immigration laws. According to Chapman, ICE has issued nearly 500 detainers for illegal aliens in Loudoun County’s custody over the past two fiscal years, and has taken custody of almost 250 of them.
The incident occurred on July 28, when Waldecker stopped at a 7-Eleven in Sterling, Virginia, to visit her ailing mother. While walking into the store, Waldecker noticed Aguilar-Martinez attempting to break into her parked car. When she tried to stop him, Aguilar-Martinez allegedly hit and killed her with the vehicle while fleeing the scene.
Aguilar-Martinez was arrested about 45 minutes later and remains at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center without bail. ICE has placed a detainer on him, requesting custody if he is released from jail at any time. Investigators say additional charges may be filed against Aguilar-Martinez.
Friends of the victim have set up a GoFundMe page to support Waldecker’s family, who are grieving the loss of a loved one. The incident has sparked outrage and raised concerns about the need for stricter immigration laws and enforcement.
