Man Indicted In Armed Carjackings, Fatal Shooting Of Man, 2 Dogs: Prosecutor

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — A 22-year-old Washington, D.C., man has been indicted by a grand jury after police say he fatally shot a man and two dogs during an armed carjacking.

On July 2 at approximately 12:10 p.m., the Prince George's County Police Department was alerted to a carjacking that had just happened in the area of Addison Road South and Rolling Ridge Drive in Capitol Heights. A preliminary investigation revealed that 22-year-old Daeyon Ross had carjacked a Honda CRV with two women in it at gunpoint.

A short distance away at Central Avenue and Ritchie Road, Ross was involved in a crash in the stolen CRV. Ross ran from that crash scene and into the parking lot of a fast food restaurant on Ritchie Road. Ross approached an Acura ILX in the drive-thru lane and shot the driver, 56-year-old Kurt Modeste of La Plata, multiple times during an attempted carjacking, according to the police department.

Modeste took off after being shot and drove a short distance away, but was pronounced dead a short time later. After the shooting, Ross carjacked a Toyota Scion that also was in the drive-thru lane. Three dogs were inside of this vehicle that was driven by a woman. Ross shot and killed two of the dogs then took off in the Scion heading westbound on Central Avenue. Officers from multiple police agencies pursued Ross into Washington, D.C., according to the police department.

At the intersection of 52nd Street and Sheriff Road, Ross exited the carjacked Scion and carjacked a fourth vehicle, a GMC Terrain. He was involved in a crash in the Terrain a short distance away. As officers approached the scene, an officer with the Capitol Heights Police Department engaged with Ross and was embroiled in an officer-involved shooting. Neither the officer nor Ross was struck. Ross was taken into custody and a loaded weapon was recovered at the scene, according to the police department.

A grand jury indicted Ross who faces 28 counts including murder, armed carjacking, use of a firearm in a violent crime and aggravated animal cruelty.

"We believe we will get justice in this case, but obviously nothing can bring back life,” said Prince George's County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy. “We are saddened and heartbroken for the family and friends of the individual who was killed. Our job right now is to focus on pursuing justice and that is what we intend to do.”