Gaithersburg, MD – A suspect was apprehended in Virginia after a crime spree spanning three states, involving multiple stolen vehicles, a home invasion, and gunfire during a police pursuit.
The series of incidents began on January 27, 2025, at approximately 4:31 a.m. when Gaithersburg Police and Montgomery County authorities responded to a hit-and-run at Route 355 and Watkins Mill Road. Witnesses reported a Hispanic male and a small child leaving a stolen Toyota Scion, which had been reported missing from New York City the previous day.
Shortly after, around 5:50 a.m., a resident in Gaithersburg reported the theft of their silver 2015 Kia Forte. By 9:20 a.m., officers were called to a home in Germantown for a reported home invasion, where a suspect matching the description—accompanied by a 4-year-old girl—stole personal items and fled in the victim’s red 2002 GMC Sierra pickup truck.
Authorities later identified the suspect as 32-year-old Esmeraldo Martinez De La Cruz and his daughter, Luna Martinez, who had been reported missing from New York City.
At approximately 3 p.m., Virginia police located the stolen pickup truck in Bridgewater, VA. Martinez led officers on a 60-mile pursuit northbound on Interstate 81, firing multiple shots at police before crashing into a guardrail near the Shenandoah/Frederick County line.
Martinez was taken into custody without further incident. His daughter was evaluated on the scene and found unharmed. No officers or civilians sustained injuries during the pursuit.
Martinez faces multiple charges in Virginia, including attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, possession of stolen property, and child neglect. Additional charges in Montgomery County include home invasion, armed robbery, auto theft, and endangering a minor. He is currently being held at the Rockingham County Regional Jail in Virginia.
