ROCKVILLE, Md. — A 44-year-old Maryland man is facing multiple charges, including attempted murder, after he reportedly hit three pedestrians with a car and then drove away on Dec. 14.
Officers are searching for Walter Giovanni Marquez-Aviles, of Gaithersburg, Maryland. Marquez-Aviles is charged with three counts of attempted murder and three counts of first-degree assault.
On Wednesday, investigators released a photo of Marquez-Aviles as the search for him continues.
Rockville City Police responded to 199 East Montgomery Avenue for a report of multiple people struck by a car. Investigators say three people were taken to area hospitals with serious injuries. Those victims have only been identified as a 79-year-old woman and two men, ages 22 and 18. The 22-year-old victim was released from the hospital while the other two victims remain hospitalized in serious condition, according to police.
Authorities are saying little about the case, but in the immediate aftermath of the hit-and-run, officers had early information that Marquez-Aviles had been in court for a hearing and was known to at least one of the victims. His 20-year-old son was stabbed to death in September, and the son's girlfriend was arrested, according to an announcement from Montgomery County Police at the time of the death. That case was in court Thursday for a hearing, according to court records.
If you have seen Marquez-Aviles, or know where he may be, Rockville City Police ask you to call 911 or contact the department at 240-314-8938 or detectives@rockvillemd.gov. Callers may choose to remain anonymous.