The Charles County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service’s Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force are asking the public for help locating David Thomas Alston, 21, of Indian Head, who is wanted in connection with an armed carjacking that authorities say occurred in May, according to a CCSO press release.
A warrant for Alston’s arrest was issued July 24, charging him with armed carjacking, first-degree assault, armed robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime, and other related charges, the sheriff’s office said. Alston is described as 5-foot-10 and approximately 145 pounds; authorities said he may have altered his appearance by changing his hairstyle. He is known to frequent areas of Charles County and Prince George’s County, Maryland, as well as Southeast Washington, D.C., according to the release.
Court charging documents describe the May 20 incident that led to the charges. A man told investigators he had arranged, through a cousin’s Instagram page, to buy shoes from someone using the name “Bird” and was directed to meet him in the parking lot of a Food Lion on Marshall Hall Road in Bryans Road. When the man got into a vehicle described as an Infiniti G37 with black rims and heavy window tint, the driver — later identified by police as Alston — allegedly pulled out a “Draco”-style handgun and demanded money, the documents state. The alleged victim told investigators he managed to open the door and run.
The stolen vehicle was recovered two days later, on May 22, by a Metropolitan Police Department officer in Washington, D.C., according to the charging documents. Surveillance footage allegedly showed Alston exiting the driver’s seat of the recovered vehicle, the documents state. Alston was subsequently charged in connection with the case with felony attempted armed robbery, felony attempted robbery, felony first-degree assault, felony armed carjacking, felony carjacking, and related counts, the charging documents show.
These charges represent allegations only. Alston has not been convicted of any crime in connection with the case, and as of the sheriff’s office’s public appeal, he remains at large.
The Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, which is assisting in the search, began operations in June 2004 under the U.S. Marshals Service and holds partnership agreements with more than 100 federal, state, and local agencies across the National Capital Region, according to the Marshals Service. The Charles County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Unit is coordinating with the task force on Alston’s case.
Anyone with information on Alston’s whereabouts is asked to contact Cpl. T.J. Rickard of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office at 301-752-9258. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward can instead contact Charles County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS, submit a tip online at charlescountycrimesolvers.com, or use the P3 Tips mobile app.
The sheriff’s office has not released additional details about the assault or robbery charges tied to the July 24 warrant beyond the May 20 carjacking case described in court records, and this article does not speculate about facts beyond what has been publicly documented.
