‘I Am Not Guilty,’ Claims Carjacking Defendant in Trial

By Marissa Stambaugh - October 3, 2024
Carjacking | Court | Daily Stories | Suspects |

On Oct. 2, DC Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe and a jury heard testimony from a carjacking defendant who said he was only trying to help during the incident. 

Michael Robinson, 39, is charged with unarmed carjacking and two counts of robbery for his alleged involvement in a carjacking that occurred on May 26 on the 3000 block of Georgia Avenue, NW. 

According to court documents, a rideshare driver hit another individual on a bicycle with his vehicle and continued to drive down the street. After stopping the man in the car, the cyclist forced the driver out of his car, before stealing his vehicle with two passengers inside. 

According to prior testimony, the man who drove away with the car in surveillance footage was not Robinson. Police have still not been able to identify the individual, but Robinson was present in the video and seems to be shown aiding the driver. 

During the hearing, Martin Rosendorf, Robinson’s attorney, called the defendant to testify. 

According to Robinson, he was just trying to help intervene between the lyft driver and the individual who had just gotten hit on his bicycle. He testified he saw the incident occur from a nearby bus stop and wanted to make sure nothing escalated between the two and that the individual on the bike received compensation for being hit.

“I never carjacked anyone,” Robinson said he told police at the scene. He testified he was confused as to why he got arrested.

The rideshare driver, and owner of the stolen vehicle, through a language interpreter, recounted what had happened on May 26. The driver said that although he did not know what the individuals were saying after the incident, he could read their tone as “aggressive”. 

The driver testified that after he accidentally hit the man on the bicycle, two men approached his car, leading to an escalation of the situation and the eventual theft of his vehicle.

The driver provided an in-court identification of Robinson as one of the men at the scene, but not the individual who drive away with his vehicle. He stated that Robinson did in fact seem to be helping him, but got aggressive with him as well. 

Prosecutors also called on an eyewitness to the crime. He was one of the individuals inside the rideshare vehicle as the incident occurred. 

According to the witness, one of the men that approached the vehicle told the driver “you just hit my little ‘cuz,” and told the driver he needs to give anything for compensation.

This witness also provided an in-court identification of Robinson being one of the men at the scene, but unlike the victim of the carjacking, he identified him as a suspect. 

Trial is set to continue on Oct. 7.