A man who carjacked multiple people, killing one driver and two dogs in the process, and led police on a pursuit from Prince George's County to D.C. was arrested Sunday, authorities say. Officers exchanged gunfire with the man at one point.
Police say the rampage began in Prince George's County when the suspect, whose identity was not immediately made public, carjacked someone on Addison Road and Rolling Ridge Drive at 12:12 p.m.
He then went to the 8400 block of Central Avenue, where he tried to carjack another person, police said.
The victim tried to drive off, “at which point, the suspect fired multiple rounds, killing” him, said Zachary O’Lare, acting deputy chief of the Prince George’s County Police Department Bureau of Investigations & Forensic Science.
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News4 confirmed with Metro and family members on Monday that the victim was Kurt Modeste, a Metrobus driver with 24 years experience in the system.
His wife, Pamela, said he had just come from church and was picking up McDonald's for his sick brother, whom Modeste cared for, when the attack occurred. Modeste had four children.
"Time and time again I find myself responding to acts of senseless gun violence. Our team mourns as yet another community member, this time a veteran Metro family member, is taken from us. We are devastated by this news. Collective action is needed for these tragedies to stop," Metro General Manager Randy Clarke said in a tweet.
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The suspect also allegedly shot and killed two of three dogs in Modeste's car, authorities said.
“I’ve done this job for a very long time, and it’s extremely rare to come across an individual who has such a disregard for life,” O’Lare said.
The suspect then carjacked another person and fled into the District with officers in pursuit. It ended along Sheriff Road.
Then, police say the man got out of the car and tried to immediately carjack a fourth person.
Capitol Heights police were among those who picked up the chase across multiple jurisdictions.
They “did engage in a gunfight with the suspect. Fortunately neither parties were struck,” Chief Darryl Morgan, of the Capitol Heights Police Department, said.
The suspect was then arrested. He faces charges in connection with the fatal shooting along with carjackings in Prince George’s County.
“What I can say is that I’m thankful to let the community know that the suspect is in custody, but what I don’t want is for that to overshadow the damage he has done to our community,” O’Lare said.
Update (July 2, 2023 at 9:26 p.m. EST): Police said in an update Sunday night that the victim who was killed was a man, not a woman.
