ROCKVILLE, Md. — A 44-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a vehicular assault last month in which multiple people were intentionally struck by a dark-colored SUV. The suspect, identified as Walter Giovanni Marquez-Aviles of Gaithersburg, Maryland, was apprehended Thursday morning in Hyattsville after an investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
The incident occurred on December 14 at approximately 2:36 p.m., when Rockville City Police responded to reports of multiple pedestrians being struck by a vehicle at 199 East Montgomery Avenue. Authorities quickly determined the act was intentional, prompting a joint investigation by the Rockville City Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department Repeat Offender Unit, and the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Task Force.
“Today at 10:15 a.m., Mr. Marquez-Aviles was apprehended in Hyattsville, Maryland,” the Rockville City Police Department said in a statement. The suspect faces three counts of attempted murder and three counts of first-degree assault.
Police credited public tips and collaboration with allied agencies for leading to Marquez-Aviles’ arrest. No additional details were provided about a possible motive or the condition of the victims, whose identities have not been released.
The Rockville City Police Department expressed gratitude to the public and its partner agencies for their assistance in bringing the investigation to a conclusion.
The arrest closes a month-long search for the suspect in a case that left the Rockville community shaken.