Frederick County: Early morning carjacking/pursuit suspects apprehended

Two Subjects are now in custody after carjacking a female motorist, fleeing from police in her stolen vehicle and attempting to evade capture on foot after crashing the victim’s car in a wooded  area.

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call at 3:40am from a female stating that her car had just been stolen by two men with a gun.

Briannon Sutphin of Stephens City advised that a black male with a pistol and another male subject forced her out of her 2006 Nissan Maxima at the end of the off-ramp of Route 37 north at Valley Pike. Ms. Sutphin advised the two males had exited another vehicle at the end of the ramp and left it there after fleeing north in her car. A short time later, Deputy J.T. Fauver encountered the stolen Nissan and attempted to stop it in the area of 37 and Route 50. After refusing to stop, a pursuit was initiated where maximum speeds reached 118 mph with items being thrown out.

Deputy D.L. Cullers was stationary near the Route 37 / I-81 interchange in Kernstown and successfully deployed spike strips on the Nissan. The pursuit continued south to the end of Route 37,  headed west on Tasker Road and north onto Hillandale Drive before running out of pavement and into a wooded area where they eventually crashed down a 30-foot embankment and fled on foot.

Members of the Virginia State Police and Winchester Police Department joined Sheriff’s Deputies in setting up a perimeter as Deputy J.W. Suire and his K-9 partner Majlo began tracking the suspects. A helicopter out of Fairfax was requested and responded to the scene to assist in locating these possibly armed and dangerous subjects. Sgt. J.K. Pyles located a subject at the intersection of Valley Pike and Shawnee Drive identified as Isaiah Houston, 24 of Daleville, Virginia and confirmed he was the passenger in the stolen Nissan. With the helicopter circling the area east of the interstate and along Papermill Road, the driver, Desmon Wheeler, 24 of Bellspring,Virginia came walking out of the woods and surrendered to law enforcement without incident.

Desmon Wheeler, 24 of Bellspring Virginia. Photo courtesy of Frederick County Adult Detention Center.

Isaiah Houston, 24 of Daleville Virginia

A firearm was located within the Nissan once the vehicle was recovered. A fanny pack thrown from the Nissan during the pursuit was located and found to also have a firearm inside. The 2003 Honda passenger vehicle abandoned by Wheeler and Houston on the off-ramp was discovered to be reported stolen out of Roanoke and was recovered. After being medically cleared, Wheeler and Houston were transported to the regional adult detention center where they remain at this time. Wheeler and Houston face various charges to include carjacking, felony eluding, possession of a firearm in commission of a felony and possession of stolen property.

(Frederick County Sheriff’s Office Press Release)