Driver In Suspected Carjacking Fatally Shot By Virginia State Police Has Been Identified

LANHAM, MD — The driver of a suspected carjacked vehicle who engaged in a high-speed chase and was fatally shot by Virginia State Police has been identified.

Around 10:15 p.m. Wednesday, a Virginia State Police trooper saw a vehicle wanted by the U.S. Parkway Police for a carjacking at approximately the 158-mile marker on Interstate 95 southbound. The trooper attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused to stop and a pursuit started, according to state police.

During the pursuit, which continued southbound, the suspect vehicle hit another Virginia State Police vehicle, causing it to overturn. This crash happened at approximately the 155-mile marker, just south of the Cardinal Road underpass. The trooper wasn't injured, police reported.

At around the 150-mile marker on Interstate 95 southbound, troopers intentionally made contact with the vehicle, forcing it to come to a stop. During the stop, the driver refused multiple Virginia State Police commands. The driver, who was wearing a ski mask, made multiple abrupt furtive movements with his hands, according to police, which caused state troopers to fire their state-issued weapons, according to police.

The driver, Andy Ernesto Espinoza Garay, 26, of Lanham, was pronounced dead on the scene.
A passenger, Merlin Alexander Cruz-Perdomo, 21, of Lanham, was flown to Fairfax Hospital and is in stable condition. Cruz-Perdomo has been charged by Virginia State Police with grand larceny. A third passenger, Jonathan Bonilla-Baires, 24, of Hyattsville, wasn't injured and was taken into custody. Bonilla also has been charged with grand larceny by Virginia State Police, the department stated.

The four troopers involved in the officer-involved shooting have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. The incident remains an open and active investigation, according to police.