On July 28, 2024, shortly before noon, deputies responded to a fatal incident in the parking lot of a convenience store along Route 7 in Sterling, Virginia. Upon arrival, they located a woman who had been run over by a vehicle during a carjacking. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim was identified as 54-year-old Melody Waldecker.
According to prosecutors, 23-year-old Jose Ulises Aguilar-Martinez had been loitering in the area with the intent to steal a vehicle so he could travel to California. Investigators say he initially attempted to steal a pickup truck but was unsuccessful after an adult passenger intervened.
Authorities say Aguilar-Martinez then entered Waldecker’s vehicle after she left it running in the parking lot and went inside the store. When Waldecker saw him inside her car, she ran out and attempted to stop the theft by pulling on the door handle as the vehicle began moving.
Investigators say Aguilar-Martinez reversed and then accelerated, causing Waldecker to lose her balance and fall. He then drove over her while fleeing the scene.
Law enforcement from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, and Fairfax County Police conducted a search and located Aguilar-Martinez within approximately 45 minutes, sitting inside Waldecker’s vehicle. He was taken into custody without incident.
Aguilar-Martinez was charged with first-degree felony murder, robbery causing death, attempted grand larceny, hit and run resulting in death, reckless driving, and hit and run involving property damage.
On March 27, 2026, Aguilar-Martinez was sentenced in Loudoun County Circuit Court to two life sentences, to run concurrently, plus an additional 13 years in prison. The sentence exceeded the recommended guideline range of 27 to 45 years.
— Illicit Deeds | Criminal Case Coverage