BALTIMORE — A former Anne Arundel County police officer has pleaded guilty to a felony charge in connection with a deadly crash following an unauthorized pursuit in 2024, Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced Thursday.
Alexander Rodriguez entered a guilty plea on April 9, 2026, in the Circuit Court for Howard County to one count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and failing to remain at the scene. The plea was entered before Judge Maurice Frazier.
Under the terms of the agreement, Rodriguez will receive a five-year sentence, with all but 120 days suspended. He will also serve two years of supervised probation, complete 100 hours of community service, and is barred from pursuing a career in law enforcement.
“No one who endangers lives and then abandons a crash that resulted in a man’s death on the side of the road should be allowed to wear a police uniform. By accepting this plea agreement, Rodriguez will never again serve as a law enforcement officer in Maryland,” Brown said. “We cannot keep our communities safe if we do not hold people accountable when they break the law. The outcome that our Office secured makes clear that no one is above the law, regardless of their career.”
The charges stem from an incident on August 10, 2024, when Rodriguez, who was on patrol at the time, followed a motorcycle into a gas station in Anne Arundel County. According to investigators, Rodriguez attempted to block the motorcycle at a gas pump, but the rider, identified as Joshua Vanderziel, maneuvered around the cruiser and left the scene.
Authorities said Rodriguez then initiated an unauthorized pursuit, chasing the motorcycle through Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and into Howard County. The pursuit spanned approximately 4.3 miles, with speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour.
Investigators determined Rodriguez did not activate his emergency lights or sirens, failed to notify dispatch or a supervisor, and did not activate his body-worn camera during the pursuit.
The chase ended when Vanderziel crashed into a commercial flatbed truck that was turning left on Washington Boulevard in Howard County. He was thrown from the motorcycle and pronounced dead at the scene by responding emergency personnel.
Officials said Rodriguez briefly braked after the crash but then made a U-turn and left the area, returning to Anne Arundel County without stopping to render aid or report the incident.
Rodriguez later resumed patrol duties without notifying supervisors of the crash, authorities said.
Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20, 2026, in the Circuit Court for Howard County.
The case was investigated by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division, with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies.
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“Rodriguez will receive a five-year sentence, with all but 120 days suspended.” People wonder why everyone hates the police nowadays. Any one of us “regular ” citizens would be doing years in jail but a cop can get you killed and only do 4 months. “Rodriguez will never again serve as a law enforcement officer in Maryland”
Oh cool so he can go to another state and get right back at it. Totally not something we’ve seen time and time again.