An illegal immigrant from El Salvador on Thursday pleaded guilty to murder in the 2024 carjacking of a woman in Loudoun County in which he ran over the victim with her own vehicle.
Jose Ulises Aguilar-Martinez, 19, faces up to life in prison after entering the guilty plea on murder, robbery causing death and other charges in a Loudoun County Circuit Court.
The conviction stems from the July 2024 slaying of 54-year-old Melody Waldecker in Sterling.
Aguilar-Martinez threw Waldecker from her SUV during the carjacking in a 7-Eleven parking lot, court documents say.
Waldecker fell to the ground as she tried to prevent Aguilar-Martinez from stealing her car, and the carjacker drove over Waldecker during his escape, according to court documents.
Waldecker, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said they captured the killer after a brief chase. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said Aguilar-Martinez had a California driver’s license and was living in Virginia.
“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,” Sheriff Mike Chapman said at the time. “This is another reminder of why it is essential that localities collaborate with our federal counterparts charged with enforcing U.S. immigration laws.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a detainer for Aguilar-Martinez shortly after his arrest, but added that their request would be on hold pending the outcome of his criminal case.
Aguilar-Martinez will return to court in March for his sentencing hearing.
