In the late afternoon of a summer day in Prince George's County, Maryland, a landscaper's life was tragically cut short in what appeared to be a robbery attempt. Fernando Alvarenga Cuellar, a 38-year-old man, was found shot outside on Ridgecrest Drive in Camp Springs on August 6, 2024. The call came in to the Prince George's County Police Department at approximately 2:30 p.m. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered Mr. Alvarenga Cuellar suffering from gunshot wounds.
He was quickly transported to a local hospital for medical attention, but succumbed to his injuries several hours later.
The events that followed the shooting unfolded dramatically, leading to a police chase that spanned across county lines. About two hours after the shooting, patrol officers in Oxon Hill were alerted to an armed carjacking on Fisher Road. While responding, they spotted the stolen vehicle traveling in tandem with another carjacked vehicle on St. Barnabas Road. A pursuit began as officers attempted to stop both cars. One of the stolen vehicles crashed near St. Barnabas Road and Wheeler Road, and the driver, a 16-year-old boy, was taken into custody.
The second carjacked vehicle continued to flee from law enforcement, eventually crashing in Washington, D.C. Two individuals, 25-year-old Deandre Boyd and another 16-year-old boy, attempted to escape on foot but were quickly apprehended by the pursuing officers. During the investigation into the carjackings, detectives were able to connect Boyd and the two teenagers to the fatal shooting of Fernando Alvarenga Cuellar earlier that day. It is believed that the shooting occurred during an attempted robbery.
Deandre Boyd and the two 16-year-old males were subsequently charged in connection with the death of Mr. Alvarenga Cuellar. The charges filed against them include first and second-degree murder, as well as carjacking and other related offenses. The two teenagers were charged as adults. One of the teens was held at the county's Department of Corrections, while the other two suspects awaited extradition from Washington, D.C. Police recovered two firearms from the carjacked vehicles. There were conflicting reports as to whether the victim and the suspects were acquainted with one another prior to the incident.
