A stabbing defendant has disappeared and lost contact with her attorney and the court, raising concerns about her whereabouts before sentencing. DC Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno on Oct. 30.
Denise Warren, 58, pleaded guilty on Sept. 18 to attempted assault with a dangerous weapon for her involvement in a domestic violence-related stabbing that occurred on Sept. 1 at the 3500 Block of East Capitol Street, NE. Warren’s daughter sustained a laceration to her leg.
Warren was not present in court, and her defense attorney, Susan Borecki, informed Judge Salerno that she has been lost to contact, raising concern among the parties. Borecki said she had not spoken to Warren since the last hearing on Sept. 18.
According to a representative from The Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), Warren called their office on Sept. 22 to check in, and officers attempted to reach Warren again by using a phone number on file, but those efforts went unanswered.
On Oct. 6, CSOSA received a voicemail from Warren that said she had undergone surgery at Inova Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia, and expected to move to a rehabilitation center afterward. However, after Oct. 14, all communication stopped once again, leaving her current status uncertain.
In response, the prosecution reserved their right to request a bench warrant for Warren’s arrest if she continues missing. CSOSA said they are still working on verifying whether she is, in fact, at the medical facility mentioned in the voicemail or elsewhere.
Judge Salerno did not issue a bench warrant for Warren, and parties are slated to reconvene on the scheduled sentencing date on Nov. 19.
