Man Sentenced Following Multi-Jurisdictional Rampage & Ambulance Theft

Published on January 20, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 20, 2026

Man Sentenced Following Multi-Jurisdictional Rampage and Ambulance Theft

January 20, 2026, ARLINGTON, VA: Last week the Circuit Court sentenced Darell Caldwell to a total of 7 active years of incarceration, with 5 years of supervised probation. Restitution of $20K was ordered for our main victim’s medical bills, but was converted to a judgement due to Mr. Caldwell’s financial circumstances. Mr. Caldwell plead guilty to Unlawful Wounding, Attempted Unlawful Wounding, Hit and Run, Eluding, and Grand Larceny of the ambulance — stemming from a multi-jurisdiction incident in August 2023 that caused widespread property damage, serious injuries, and a large-scale law enforcement response. These five felony charges best captured the full scope of Mr. Caldwell’s actions.

Mr. Caldwell stole a vehicle in the city of Falls Church, traveled through Arlington, and ended up in the roadways near the GW Parkway. He crashed the first vehicle, left it behind, and got into another vehicle, crashing that one as well. Medics came to the scene to assist with emergency care, but while medics were attempting to assist at the scene, Mr. Caldwell got into the driver’s seat of their ambulance and tried to escape from officers and troopers who were trying to detain him. Throughout this entire process, Mr. Caldwell damaged several vehicles in his attempt to leave the scene. The incident resulted in over $500,000 in documented vehicle damage and dozens of civilian victims across Arlington, Falls Church, and Washington, D.C.

The most severely injured victim, Ms. AK, suffered a broken back, neck, and ribs, amongst other serious injuries, underwent major surgeries and is still recuperating from her injuries. She continues to experience life-altering medical challenges more than two years later, including permanent injuries. Present in court, her daughter testified about the harm Mr. Caldwell’s actions has caused. Despite the profound impact on their family, AK and her relatives have remained patient, engaged, and remarkably compassionate throughout the process, and have been supported by our Victim Witness Staff member, Autumn Edmond.

Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney, Abhi Mehta uplifted the voices of the victims, recognized the risks faced by Virginia State Police Trooper Suraweera and other officers who acted quickly to protect the public during the high-risk pursuit, and acknowledged Mr. Caldwell’s significant mental health diagnoses, traumatic history, and substance use disorder. Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti commented, “Time and money cannot give back what has been irrevocably lost, but my hope is that after waiting for the resolution of this case for so long, AK and her family will have a measure of solace now.”

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