On Sunday, February 4, 2024, at 9:11 pm., patrol officers initiated a traffic stop near Crain Highway and Talbot Street in La Plata after a computer check revealed the registration plates on the vehicle belonged to a different car. The driver refused to stop and instead fled.
The vehicle had also been reported stolen from a nearby county. Officers pursued the car and deployed stop sticks three times – in the area of Billingsley Road, the Hughesville bypass, and the third time with the assistance of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office in Charlotte Hall, successfully deflating several of the vehicle’s tires.
Despite the flat tires, the vehicle continued to flee until striking a median and becoming disabled. All three occupants fled the car on foot and were quickly apprehended.
Officers located a loaded firearm in the vehicle and a large quantity of methamphetamine.
One of the occupants also had an active arrest warrant from a nearby county. Shawn Ray Elswick, 24, of Riverdale; Kirk Rodriquez Casper, 24, of Washington, D.C.; and Monica Sanchez-Zavala, 18, of no fixed address, were arrested.
Elswick, the driver, was charged with theft, possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle, illegal possession of ammunition, and numerous traffic citations.
The other two suspects were charged with theft, possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle, and possession of drugs.
All three suspects are being held without bond at the Charles County Detention Center as of 2/7/2024. Officer Perry is investigating.
