Father strikes murder suspect's family in Rockville hit-and-run: sources
Rockville hit-and-run possibly linked to suspect's son's murder
New details have emerged in the Rockville hit-and-run Thursday that sent two younger men and an elderly woman to the hospital. FOX 5’s Stephanie Ramirez has been digging into the case all day and has learned the suspect was in Rockville for something to do with the murder of his son.
ROCKVILLE, Md. - New details have emerged about a Downtown Rockville hit-and-run crash where a 79-year-old woman and two young men were struck Thursday afternoon.
FOX 5 spent the day speaking with neighbors, pulling court documents, and confirming information with sources who believe the hit-and-run suspect targeted the three people struck and that it was connected to the murder of the suspect’s son.
Court information confirmed a preliminary hearing slated for 1:30 p.m. Thursday took place inside the Montgomery County Circuit Court building just next door to where the three victims were hit. In that hearing, an attorney argued for 21-year-old Jennifer Espinoza-Orellana to be released. Espinoza-Orellana, the alleged girlfriend, was arrested and charged back in September with second-degree murder for fatally stabbing 20-year-old Jose Zavala Marquez.
Sources believe the hit-and-run driver, 44-year-old Walter Marquez-Avilez of Gaithersburg, saw the family of his son’s suspected murderer after court, and targeted them, striking them with his SUV on Thursday afternoon. Someone with close knowledge of the case says it’s their understanding that one of the three people hit is the alleged girlfriend’s brother.
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Driver flees after striking 3 people near Rockville courthouse
Three people, including a 79-year-old woman, have been hospitalized with various injuries after police say a car struck them Thursday afternoon in downtown Rockville.
Rockville City Police obtained a warrant for a man sources say is Zavala Marquez’ father, but the Rockville City Police Department has not confirmed the murder case connection.
According to the department, the collision occurred around 2:30 p.m. along East Montgomery Avenue across from the Montgomery County District Courthouse.
A police department spokesperson says two of the three people struck, a 79-year-old woman and an 18-year-old male were still in the hospital Friday with serious injuries. The other person struck, a 22-year-old man, was released.
The Montgomery County Police Department is assisting Rockville City police in their search for Marquez-Aviles, who police plan to charge with three counts of attempted murder and three counts of first-degree assault when caught.
FOX 5 was able to pull the audio recordings for the Thursday hearing in the second-degree murder case but cannot share them publicly. However, in those recordings, we did hear the 21-year-old murder suspect’s attorney argue for her release, claiming while she initially lied to police, that she allegedly stabbed the 20-year-old son in self-defense.
Zavala's mother did speak in court, claiming the alleged girlfriend was a liar. The mother argued for the 21-year-old to be held without bond. Sources confirm she was. The next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 12.
FOX 5 also learned the 44-year-old hit-and-run suspect has a court history that involved him being arrested on a warrant in 2022. That arrest had to do with a serious domestic incident involving his wife. But charges were dropped in the case for an unknown reason.
Sources did confirm this history had nothing to do with the Thursday hit-and-run incident.
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One source in particular told FOX 5 the incident was surprising and unfortunate. That person said everyone is supposed to feel safe in court and for this to happen right outside is concerning.
FOX 5 spoke with a woman who identified herself as Marquez-Aviles’ wife. She confirmed the man police are looking for is her husband, and said he was at the courthouse before the crash. The woman also mentioned that although they are married, they don’t live together. She has not seen or heard from the suspect since the Thursday hearing. She added while she did not personally witness the crash, she heard the commotion and screams outside, near the crash site.
Anyone with knowledge of Marquez-Aviles’ whereabouts is asked to contact police. You can report anonymously.