On Sunday, April 8, 2018, St. Mary’s County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) received a phone call from a female victim advising a male in a dark colored work van pulled a gun on her and a male victim while on Route 235 in the area of Trapp Road in St. Inigoes. The victim followed the blue van onto Wynne Road, however lost the vehicle from there.

A Deputy from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office made contact with the victims in a nearby parking lot at which time the victim explained she was driving southbound on Route 235 in the area of Trapp Road when a dark colored van was following her vehicle very closely, she advised the van then began flashing their lights at her so her male passenger told her to pull off to the shoulder of the road. Once on the shoulder of the road the van pulled up next to them, and the male victim asked, “what was up.” The two victims told police the male inside of the van then pulled out a black handgun, racked a round into the chamber and pointed it at them, and said “next time I’m trying to f###ing pass you, you will let me pass you,” while he was pointing the gun at them, the female victim recognized the male as Joshua Aquilino, 24, of Ridge, because she went to school with him since elementary school. The male victim also recognized the male as being “Joshua” due to having mutual friends.

Police gave the name to ECC and they were informed Aquilino had an address off Wynne Road, on Pine Tree Lane. Police responded to Aquilino’s residence and observed a blue Chevrolet van parked outside of the address.

Police knocked on the door and made contact with Aquilino and detained him. Aquilino originally lied about the incident however after a while he made a statement that he “shouldn’t have racked his gun at the people in the car”. When Aquilino was being walked to a police vehicle for an interview he dropped a loaded magazine onto the ground with .45 caliber ammunition in it.

Aquilino was read his Miranda rights, which he waived. Aquilino advised he was trying to pass a vehicle that would not allow him to pass. He advised they waived him over to the side of the vehicle at which time he pulled over, grabbed his gun and “racked it.” Aquilino denied pointing the gun at the victim’s however he did admit that his gun was loaded and he did “rack it.” Aquilino showed police where he put the gun once he got home, the gun was found inside of his residence on top of a refrigerator. The gun was a Glock 21 Gen4 .45 caliber, black in color like the victims had advised. Aquilino was placed under arrest and transported to the St. Mary’s County Detention Center.

Aquilino was charged with the following:

assault-first degree (2 counts)

assault-sec degree (2 counts)

reckless endangerment (2 counts)

use of a firearm in a felony/violent crime