Defendant Pleads Not Guilty in Fatal Carjacking at A Hospital

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Kayla Brown was arraigned and pleaded not guilty in front of DC Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld on March 10 for allegedly stealing a motor vehicle from a woman whose mother, 55-year-old Leslie Gaines, was still inside the car.

Brown, 24, is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, carjacking, and negligent homicide for her alleged involvement in an incident on June 3, 2024, at MedStar Washington Hospital Center on the 100 block of Irving Street, NW.

Court documents state that, on the day of the carjacking, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to a 911 call from Brown’s parents, who said Brown had been acting in a crazy manner since taking an unknown drug three days earlier. An officer accompanied Brown in an ambulance to the hospital.

According to court documents, Gaines’ daughter called MPD officers to MedStar Washington Hospital Center approximately an hour and a half later. Gaines’ daughter told them she left her mother in the car with the motor running outside the emergency room while seeking help to bring her mother inside. When she returned, looking for the car, it was gone.

Arrest documents state the stolen vehicle crashed into the US Attorney’s Office on the 600 block of D Street, NW. Gaines was found unresponsive in the car and was pronounced dead at George Washington University Hospital.

Brown’s attorney, Sylvia Smith, alerted Judge Hertzfeld of Brown’s intent to plead not guilty to all charges and asserted her constitutional rights, including the right to a speedy trial.

The next hearing is set for April 11.