Suspect sought in armed carjackings at Maryland luxury dealerships

The U.S. Marshals Service has joined the search for a man wanted on felony carjacking charges related to incidents at luxury car dealerships in Maryland and Virginia, WBFF reported. The suspect, identified as Joe Cofer, 38, of Washington D.C., allegedly carried out the crimes using armed threats.

According to court documents cited by FOX45 Baltimore, on June 29, Cofer entered Audi Bethesda in Montgomery County, Maryland, and requested to test drive a gray Audi S5. Employees noticed visible cuts and bruises on his arms and a hospital bracelet but allowed the test drive to proceed.

During the test drive, Cofer asked the accompanying employee to take pictures of him behind the wheel for his wife. The employee took the key fob and stepped out to take the photos. After returning Cofer's phone, the suspect revealed what appeared to be a handgun and told the employee to walk away before driving off with the vehicle.

Authorities discovered that Cofer had arrived at Audi Bethesda in another Audi reported stolen the day before from Audi of Tysons Corner in Vienna, Virginia, about 11 miles away. Investigators in Virginia noted a similar theft method and matched surveillance images with Cofer's identification, according to court documents.

Using Audi Connect technology, law enforcement tracked the stolen vehicle to a location about six miles away in Washington D.C., as reported by WBFF and FOX45 Baltimore. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to search for Cofer.