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Chase goes from Gambrills to bay

Carjacking suspect fished from frigid waters after he tries to swim away

By HEATHER RAWLYK, Staff Writer

Published 12/04/08

With two tires on the stolen Mercedes deflated, an alleged carjacker ended a chase through two counties and across the Bay Bridge last night by jumping into the frigid water at a Stevensville pier.

Courtesy photo Alleged carjacker Jamar Lewis Gomez, 21, of Silver Spring.

The chase spanned 30 miles from Gambrills to the Romancoke Pier in Queen Anne's County. County police said at the end, the driver ditched the Mercedes and tried to escape by jumping into Eastern Bay.

Police quickly pulled him from the 43-degree water.

Jamar Lewis Gomez, 21, of Silver Spring, is charged with carjacking, armed robbery, kidnapping, possession of a handgun, first-and second-degree assault, two counts of vehicle theft, destruction of property and 26 traffic violations, said Justin Mulcahy, a county police spokesman.

The chase began shortly before 11 p.m. after a carjacking outside Krazy Otto's Sports Saloon at 1357 Defense Highway in Gambrills.

A 27-year-old Laurel man told police he noticed a man in a 1998 Toyota Corolla stopped next to him at a traffic signal in Prince George's County. As the man later got out of his 2003 Mercedes in the Krazy Otto's Sports Saloon parking lot, he saw the same Toyota pull up beside him and realized he had been followed, Mr. Mulcahy said.

Police said the man from the Toyota pointed a gun at the victim and ordered him to the ground. He took the Laurel man's car keys and demanded he get into the passenger seat of the Mercedes, police said.

The carjacker drove about 30 feet before dropping the car's owner off on the roadside. The victim, who was not injured, ran away and called for help, while witnesses flagged down officers patrolling the area.

Officers located the stolen Mercedes driving west on Davidsonville Road, police said. Police drove ahead and placed sharp "stop sticks" on Route 3 just before Interstate 97 in an attempt to halt the vehicle.

The stop sticks punctured the two right tires on the Mercedes as the vehicle drove over them, Mr. Mulcahy said. But the stolen car kept driving.

The Mercedes continued east on Route 50 with three county police officers following behind and a police helicopter overhead, said Sgt. John Gilmer, a county police spokesman.

The car crossed the Bay Bridge into Queen Anne's County and exited on Romancoke Road before making an abrupt stop at the Romancoke Pier, police said.

Police said the driver made a run for it, taking off down the pier and jumping into the Eastern Bay to escape. Officers followed the man into the chilly water and pulled him to shore. He was arrested at 11:35 p.m., about 40 minutes after the reported carjacking.

Police later learned the 1998 Toyota was reported stolen in Howard County on Tuesday. Sgt. Gilmer said nearly 30 county police personnel assisted in this case, including officers, K-9 units, and evidence technicians who investigated the carjacking and assisted with the arrest. Maryland State Police, Queen Anne's County Sheriff's deputies, and Maryland Transportation Authority Police also assisted in the pursuit.

Lt. Dale Patrick, a Queen Anne's Sheriff's spokesman, said deputies got word of the chase as it crossed over the Bay Bridge.

Deputies did not join in on the pursuit, but assisted county police once the man made a run for the water.

"It's hard to run on an island," he said, noting the man had nowhere else to go once he was on the Romancoke Pier.

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Here we go again& again - 2008-12-05 11:41:42

When will this State learn??? I am willing to guess this man did not have alot of things to lose or the state would have put it to him. Let a basically good and upstanding citizen commit a very minute infraction and the state will milk the poor sap for every cent. Yet if you are someone who doesn't give a rats butt or a dime to pay out, you are on the streets with a slap on the wrists and a "have back at it!!!". Bet he isn't even a legal citizen on top of it all!

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Michelle B. - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Neutral

stop him? ha - 2008-12-05 07:45:34

And why couldnt they have just shut down the toll booth????

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joyce phelps - stevensville, MD - Karma: Bad

Be Careful - 2008-12-05 01:43:27

Last night I was driving over the bridge towards Annapolis while the chase was coming from the other direction. There was two-way traffic on the bridge as the other bridge was closed for repairs. Although I respect all the officers that risk their lives everyday, 30 police cars following a speeding moron with two blown tires over a bridge with two-way traffic could have easily turned into another news story about someone dying on this bridge. Next time they should close the bridge or have officers waiting on the other side. This man could have had a death wish and wouldn't have cared who he took with him.

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Heather K. - Arnold, MD - Karma: Bad

Hmmmmmmm. - 2008-12-04 22:15:10

They should of let him drown in the river he jumped in. But atleast they caught the moron,

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c. b - bowie, MD - Karma: Bad

Justice? - 2008-12-04 19:00:29

This creep has been arrested over TWENTY TIMES for various offenses. When will someone do a story on why these creeps keep getting out of jail to re-offend? Heather are you working on this issue? Great story by the way!

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Emma G. - West River, MD - Karma: Neutral