FREDERICK COUNTY, Md. — Four people in a stolen van were arrested after a high-speed chase on I-270 between Frederick and Montgomery counties.
The van crashed into a car in Gaithersburg at one point, injuring two people.
Two of the suspects - who are charged with car theft and drug possession - were detained by ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) on suspicion of being in the country illegally, said the Frederick County Sheriff's Office.
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Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins said the case shows why the controversial 287(g) program (allowing local law enforcement to partner with ICE) is important.
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Jenkins said in a statement:
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. 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.
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The incident began when a deputy saw a white Nissan van acting suspiciously at about 9:20 p.m. Thursday in Frederick, near Route 85 and Grove Road.
The van's driver drove away from police; the trooper determined the van was stolen and started a chase, according to a press release.
The driver sped down I-270 at upwards of 100 miles per hour, for about 25 miles into Montgomery County.
The van rammed another vehicle, at a red light in the Gaithersburg area, injuring two people in the victim vehicle.
Four suspects were ultimately arrested at a Sheetz in Gaithersburg.
The driver was found trying to get rid of the drugs in the Sheetz bathroom, police said. Deputies found crack cocaine, fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia during a search of the van.
A Maryland State Police helicopter and deputies or officers from Frederick and Montgomery counties took part in the chase.
The driver - Shawn Elswick, 25, of Prince George's County - was charged with first-degree and second-degree assault, as well as car theft, drug possession, and related vehicular charges.
He was ordered held without bond.
Three passengers - Reny Escobar, 24, of Frederick, Walter Miranda, 28, of Prince George's County, and Jose Torres Juarez, 19 (address unavailable) - were charged with vehicle theft and drug possession.
Miranda and Juarez were detained by Designated Immigration Officers in the Frederick County Sheriff's Office 287(g) program, said the Sheriff's Office.
That means they would be released to ICE custody after satisfying the local criminal charges.
