INDIAN HEAD, Md. — A late-night traffic stop for a broken headlight escalated into a high-speed pursuit reaching an estimated 120 mph before ending with the recovery of a stolen handgun, according to charging documents.
Around 10:51 p.m. on Dec. 1, 2025, a patrol officer spotted a red Cadillac sedan with a non-functioning passenger-side headlight traveling westbound on Chicamuxen Road near Pennies Road. When the officer activated lights and sirens in the 3000 block of Chicamuxen Road, the driver — later identified as Luis Edgardo Mejia Molina, 20, of Marbury — initially slowed but then accelerated away, police said.
Charging documents state the vehicle quickly reached approximately 120 mph in the posted 50 mph zone and repeatedly crossed the center line. The pursuit continued through several turns onto Riverside Road and Budds Ferry Place, where Molina allegedly made a U-turn through an open field. As the car returned to Chicamuxen Road, officers reported that Molina turned the headlights and taillights on and off and failed to stop at a posted stop sign. At one point, he reportedly passed an uninvolved motorist by entering the oncoming lane at roughly 80 mph.
Deputies deployed stop sticks near Chicamuxen Road and Sweetman Road, successfully deflating both front tires. The vehicle came to a rolling stop near the 3200 block of Chicamuxen Road, where Molina and a 17-year-old passenger were taken into custody.
After reviewing dash-camera footage, officers searched the route and recovered an H&K VP9 9mm handgun with a loaded magazine on the shoulder of Riverside Road near Ben Doane Road. An NCIC query revealed the firearm had been reported stolen in Loudoun County, Va. A 9mm round found in the pocket of the rear passenger seat matched the ammunition in the magazine.
Inside the vehicle, officers also recovered cannabis, packaging material and additional 9mm ammunition. Molina did not possess a valid driver’s license and had two active warrants through an outside agency.
Molina is charged with possession of a firearm by a person under 21, handgun in a vehicle, loaded handgun in a vehicle, possession of a stolen regulated firearm, and multiple traffic offenses. Bail records show he was ordered held without bond on Dec. 2, and District Court Judge Patrick J. Devine upheld the no-bond status during a bail review hearing on Dec. 3.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 2, 2026, in Charles County District Court.
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Hopefully ICE was alerted…