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Fingerprints on White Claw can lead police to alleged West End carjacker

A Maryland man facing 15 years to life in prison for an armed carjacking in Alexandria’s West End was identified by fingerprints found on a discarded White Claw can inside the stolen vehicle.

Around 10:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, the victim was reportedly sitting in his white 2021 Lexus NX300 in a parking lot in the 100 block of S. Reynolds Street when a man opened his driver’s side door and told him he would be killed unless he got out, according to a recently unsealed search warrant affidavit.

“[The victim] said [the suspect] kept reaching towards his waistline, which made him feel like the suspect was armed with a firearm,” APD said in the affidavit. “[The victim] said that [the suspect] was holding a container of drinks in his other hand. Initially, (the victim) refused to comply with [the suspect’s] demands, but then [the suspect] struck him with a closed fist.”

Another suspect then appeared, and the victim got out of the Lexus. The second suspect got into the Lexus’ driver’s seat, the first suspect got into the back seat and both drove away toward Duke Street, according to the affidavit.

APD went to a nearby 7-Eleven and found surveillance video of two men matching a description of the suspects walking into the store 30 minutes before the carjacking and leaving with a container of drinks. The vehicle was later found unoccupied in D.C. that same day. Police then matched two latent fingerprints on a discarded can of White Claw inside the car to one of the suspects.

The fingerprints matched with Jose Olivares, of Bel Air, Md., police said.

The search warrant was filed in order to compare a swab sample from Olivares to DNA lifted from the can.

Olivares was arrested on May 21 and was extradited to Alexandria. He has been held without bond and was charged with carjacking with a gun, a Class 5 felony punishable by 15 years to life in prison.

The second suspect was not identified.

A two-day jury trial has been set to start on April 21, 2027.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.