A homicide defendant was arraigned and pleaded not guilty in DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan’s courtroom on July 31.
Jalen McLendon, 33, is charged with second-degree murder while armed and fleeing a law enforcement officer for his alleged involvement in a fatal hit-and-run that killed 25-year-old Alpha Kake on Aug. 31, 2024 at the intersection of 15th and L Streets, NW. Kake was riding a moped scooter when he was hit and later succumbed to his injuries on Oct. 1, 2024.
According to court documents, on the night of the incident, an officer patrolling downtown DC attempted to pull McLendon over for reportedly driving with his headlights off. McLendon allegedly fled the traffic stop in his car, which led to a chase.
As McLendon reportedly ran a red light, he allegedly struck Kake, but continued driving. McLendon was arrested more than a year after the incident, on Nov. 4, 2025.
At the time of his arrest, McLendon, a Metro bus driver, was charged with second-degree murder.
At McLendon’s arraignment, Kevin Robertson, his attorney, waived the formal reading of the charges, pleaded not guilty on McLendon’s behalf, and asserted his client’s rights to a fair and speedy trial.
McLendon is currently on release with GPS monitoring. He was released in November 2025, and there have been no reported violations of his release conditions.
The prosecution said they expected to have more evidence shared with the defense in this case soon after the hearing.
Parties are set to reconvene on Aug. 31.
