Search Icon Search site

Search

March tallies more homicides than the last two months combined

By the close of March the nation’s capitol tallied 15 homicides, more murders than the past two months combined.

The first homicide was on March 3, when 41-year-old Desmond Joseph succumbed to his injuries. Joseph was injured the day before in an argument with construction worker Paul Hagan, 36. Hagan delivered a single punch that landed Joseph in the hospital and eventually claimed his life.

Hagan turned himself into police the night of the incident and now faces second-degree murder charges.

On the heels of Joseph’s death, on March 4 Delonta Alexander, 34, was shot and killed in Woodland with no suspect in sight.

Andrew McPhatter, 28, succumbed to his injuries, four days after being shot multiple times on 3500 Wheeler Rd., SE on March 5.

On March 10 officers found 24-year-old Tyrone Johnson fatally shot in the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Ave., SE. Johnson was taken to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Over the course of 24-hours Dennis Wise and Leonte Butler were both shot and killed in the Southeast quadrant.

Wise’s body was found early in the morning March 11.

The suspect, Kenneth Rice, was arrested and charged and now faces second-degree murder charges.

Butler, 26, was found unconscious and unresponsive when police arrived to the scene, in the 4000 block of South Capitol St., SE. Butler was pronounced dead on the scene.

On St. Patrick’s day, police found Bernard Coleman Jr., 43, dead in his house, 4000 block of Cole Blvd., SE with apparent gunshot wounds. A week later, police arrested and charged his son Bernard Coleman III, 23, with burglary and second-degree murder while armed.

Coleman III told police his father’s death was an accident.

Within the same hour officers found Coleman, police found 33-year-old Steven Edward Stewart Jr. laying on the ground in front of 2233 Minnesota Ave., SE suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest.

Days following the incident police said they were looking for a black man wearing a black skully who was last seen running toward 19th Street.

March’s youngest victim, 18-year-old Ayana McAllister, was found suffering from gunshot wounds on March 20 on the 4300 block of Benning Rd., NE.

In a news conference, Interim Police Chief Peter Newsham said the teen was a college freshman visiting D.C. on her spring break.

McAllister succumbed to her injuries March 21, the same day a 34-year-old visiting artist was found dead in her apartment, 600 block of 14th St., NE.

A week after Corrina Mehiel was found with apparent stab wounds, police arrested and charged El Toure, 28, with her murder. According to charging documents, Toure allegedly tortured, killed and stole four-thousand dollars from Mehiel in the days following her death.

Toure marks the fourth and final suspect apprehended this month.

In the fifteen murders in D.C. this month, ten deaths were gun-related, three victims suffered from a stabbing and two had trauma-related deaths.

In the span of seven days D.C. saw three consecutive murders in the southeast portion of the city.

On March 23, Daquan Hooks, 38, was shot and killed on the 1900 block of 13 St., SE. The followed day Maurice Jackson, 32, was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds at 1900 block of Fairlawn Ave., SE. The next day Nathaniel Davis, 24, was found fatally shot on Minnesota Avenue.

In the final week of March, police were called to Alabama Ave., SE and located a car accident that progressed into the death of 34-year-old Antwan Jones.

March’s final murder came as the month came to a close. Leoncio Loza, 75, was pronounced dead March 31. Ten days prior, police found Loza on a trail in Kenilworth Park, NE suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

The average victim for March was a 36-year-old male from the Southeast.
_______
Cases Closed

As a part a plea bargain Edy Martinez, 28, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter March 20. Martinez was sentenced to six years for stabbing her fiance, 32-year-old Pedro Sixto Esparragoza, in the heart. According to charging documents, Martinez killed her fiance during a heated argument about Esparragoza texting other women.

On March 24, 34-year-old Daniel Scott and Raymond Harper, 54, plead guilty to their involvement in James Neal’s 2015 murder. Scott pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed while Harper pleaded guilty to carrying a dangerous weapon.

Under the parameters of their plea bargains, Scott was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Harper was sentenced to a year for his involvement. According to charging documents, an argument over money quickly escalated into murder.

After two years in prison a jury found Dujuan Garris, 21, not guilty on March 30. Garris was found not guilty of all charges relating to and including the second-degree murder of 27-year-old James Anderson.

Government to retry murder suspect Derryck Decuir


After a mistrial last month, the government announced Monday it will move forward with a retrial of Derryck Decuir’s case for the alleged murder of Malek Mercer.

After three days of deliberations last month, the jury could not come to a decision on government’s charges against Decuir for first first-degree murder while armed against a minor, and a possession of a firearm during crime of violence.

During trial the defense argued that Decuir acted in self-defense and requested the jury find him not guilty on all charges.

The jury ultimately found Decuir guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm based on a prior conviction, obstruction of justice, carrying a pistol without a license and tampering with physical evidence.

Decuir is still being held without bond, and a trial readiness hearing is scheduled for December 15. The case is expected to head to trial next February.

75-year-old man stabbed in Kenilworth Park dies from injuries

Police are investigating a stabbing in Kenilworth Park last month that led to the death of 75-year-old Leoncio Loza.

According to a police report, at around 2:30 p.m. on March 21 officers responded to a bicycle trail in Kenilworth Park, on reports of aggravated assault. Upon their arrival, police found Loza suffering from multiple stab wounds. Loza was transported to a nearby hospital by helicopter in critical condition.

Loza succumbed to his injuries ten days later and his death was ruled a homicide. After conducting an autopsy, a coroner revealed Loza’s cause of death was from complications of blunt and sharp force injuries to the head and neck.

Police have not released any suspect information at this time.

Documents: Kenneth Rice arrest warrant

Kenneth Rice was arrested and charged with the murder of Dennis Wise.

[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3534571-Kenneth-Rice-arrest-warrant.html” responsive=true]

Police make an arrest in the murder of a 51-year-old man

Almost three weeks after a fatal Southeast stabbing took the life of a 51-year-old man, police announced the arrest of suspect Kenneth Rice.

Officers say Rice, 31, was allegedly responsible for Wise’s murder on March 11 in the 1800 block of Bruce Pl., SE.

According to police, officers arrived on the scene and found Wise’s body with apparent stab wounds.Wise was pronounced dead on the scene.

Rice is being held without bond as he faces second-degree murder while armed charges.

He is expected in court April 13 for a preliminary hearing.

Man charged with Corrina Mehiel’s death allegedly tortured her and stole thousands

After allegedly stabbing a visiting artist to death, El Hadji Alpha Madiou Toure, 28, stole four-thousand dollars over the course of five days.

According to charging documents, 34-year-old Corrina Mehiel’s father reported her missing to North Carolina police March 21 after she didn’t return home as planned. Within the hour, police arrived at her apartment on 600 block of 14th St., NE and found Mehiel’s lifeless body, punctured from multiple stab wounds to her neck and body.

The vast majority of the left side of her body sustained injuries. Mehiel’s left palm showed defensive wounds and large lacerations were made to the left side of her neck which pierced major arteries, veins, her voicebox and airway. A coroner report said the injuries “suggest some sort of torture.” Mehiel’s left lung, spleen and spinal cord were all punctured as well.

Mehiel’s boyfriend was the last person to hear from her. On March 21, he received a text message from her around 1 a.m. after a dinner engagement with her boss and another person.

Later that morning surveillance footage in the area placed Mehiel near her apartment building, standing next to her car, with the hatch open.

More footage in the neighborhood showed a black male wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, light colored pants with a rip near the left knee, dark colored shoes and a dark colored backpack in the area.

Two hours after the sighting of Mehiel and her car, the black male as described previously was seen driving down 14th Street in Miehel’s car.

Over the course of the next five days, the black male was sighted at multiple ATM machines withdrawing money from Mehiel’s account. Along the way the male got rid of the car and traveled by Metro. Based on Meheil’s bankcard transactions, police were able to find the SmarTrip number of the card the male used.

According to documents detailing the investigation, on Monday, March 27 a witness told police they had been with the black male described previously smoking marijuana with another person. The witness heard the two speaking about how the black male, the witness later identified as El Toure, was “hot” and “should be laying low because his face is all over the television.”

The witness also told police he heard Toure tell the person, “he got rid of the car and got another one.” Throughout the conversation Toure told the person that he “was trying to rob the woman, but was not trying to kill her.”

The same witness called 911 the same day and told police the make, model and license plate number of the car Toure was driving.

Police were then able to locate and stop Toure.

Upon searching the car, police found the SmarTrip card that was linked to Mehiel’s bankcard along with a black backpack that matched the description of the male caught on surveillance footage. The backpack also contained paperwork showing Toure bought a car on March 24 and made a one-thousand dollar payment.

Another witness, a close relative to Toure, was able to identify him to police.

Toure was arrested and formally charged with second-degree murder and theft on Tuesday.

Toure is being held without bond and is expected in court April 11 for a preliminary hearing.

Man charged with murder admits to drinking before striking 58-year-old man with his car

When asked if he had been drinking the night police say Michael Fenderson fatally struck a 58-year-old man, Fenderson told police “he had been drinking beer, rum and Hennessy,” according to charging documents.

Saturday morning around 3 a.m. police were called to 1200 block of Eastern Ave., NE on reports of a car accident. Upon police arrival, they found Lionel Bruce trapped between two vehicles and Fenderson, 57, staggering around the back of his car “keeping a hand on the vehicle to steady his balance.”

While on the scene police saw Fenderson throw a solo red cup onto the grass area next to his car, which smelled strongly of alcohol.

When asked about the incident, Fenderson told police with a blank stare and dilated pupils that a car in front of him stopped quickly and caused him to crash into it. According to police, Fenderson was unaware that he had hit a pedestrian.

Upon further investigation, police found that Fenderson was driving in the parking lane on the 1200 block of Eastern Avenue and struck Bruce who was standing behind a black Dodge Charger parked on the street. Due to the impact, Fenderson’s car allegedly pinned Bruce to the Charger and pushed the Charger along with another parked car approximately 41 feet before stopping.

Police asked Fenderson if he had been drinking which he replied with several different answers including that he had been drinking beer, rum and Hennessy. According to charging documents, Fenderson also told police he was taking painkillers, though he refused to take a sobriety test.

Complaining of knee pain, Fenderson was then brought to a nearby hospital where he refused all chemical tests.

Based on officer’s observations, Fenderson’s slurred speech, staggered walking and demeanor, police determined Fenderson was intoxicated and unable to drive safely.

Fenderson was arrested and charged with driving while under the influence, though additional charges were later added in the wake of Bruce’s death.

Fenderson now faces second-degree murder, possession of an open container and driving while under the influence.

The defendant is being held without bond and is expected in court April 5 for a preliminary hearing.

Dujuan Garris found not guilty after two years in prison

After two years in prison, a jury found 21-year-old Dujuan Garris not guilty for the murder of James Anderson on Thursday.

Throughout the duration of the case, defense attorneys Jeffrey Stein and Eugene Ohm denied any guilt on behalf of their client and instead suggested a drug gang was at fault for Anderson’s murder. They also suggested negligence on behalf of the Metropolitan Police Department.

In opening statements, Ohm told the jury that there was an incident in which officers on the scene failed to wear rubber gloves when handling evidence.

The possibility that lead detectives in the case didn’t thoroughly investigate the murder was another focal point.

The defense argued that Lead Detective Paris White chose not to disclose information involving other potential shooters that could have been the true suspect responsible for ending Anderson’s life.

The prosecution attempted to counter the defense’s argument by focusing on the eyewitnesses to the murder. However, multiple witnesses struggled to recall the details of the murder.

Prosecuting attorneys Mike Liebman and Chris Bruckmann called this repeated trend a result of the “no snitch rule.” Which Bruckmann explained as a trend in the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood not to speak with police in fear of being deemed “hot” or a “snitch.”

Despite their efforts the jury found Garris not guilty on all counts including first-degree murder.

Garris was held in jail for 779 days before Thursday’s verdict.

Christian Romero pleads not guilty to murder

The man charged with the fatal stabbing of Dimas Fuentes-Lazo pleaded not guilty Thursday.

Christian Romero, 23, is accused of stabbing 38-year-old Fuentes-Lazo to death in April 2016. According to charging documents, Fuentes-Lazo was stabbed after an argument with Romero outside of a restaurant at 833 Kennedy St., NW. Romero has been charged with second-degree murder while armed.

The case is now expected to head to trial, and a trial date of Feb. 12, 2018 was set.

According to the prosecution, a plea bargain was tentatively offered to Romero when he had a different attorney. Under the advisement of of Judge Lynn Leibovitz, the prosecution plans to create an official plea bargain and place it on the record in a future proceeding.

Romero is expected back in court April 26.

Bernard Coleman III says he shot his father by accident, documents show

The man police say shot his father in the back of the head, told them he did it accidentally when he thought his dad was asleep.

Bernard Coleman III, 23, has been charged with the murder of Bernard Coleman Jr. According to the affidavit for his arrest, Coleman III told police, “I didn’t mean to shoot [the gun] the first time, I was playing with [the gun] behind his back.”

According to a police interview, Coleman III told police he found a gun in his father’s house and was planning to run away with it, but decided against it. The night of the murder, Coleman III planned to return the gun to his father’s room when he instead fired the gun at Coleman Jr., his 43-year-old father, who appeared to be asleep. Coleman III then fled the scene after taking his father’s car keys.

Coleman III told police he forgot the gun was loaded when he fired.

The following day, March 17, police arrived to the scene, at 4001 Cole Blvd., SE, where Coleman’s sister directed them upstairs where police found Coleman Jr.’s lifeless body.

An autopsy determined Coleman Jr. had one gunshot wound to the back of the head, another on his back and an abrasion on the center of his back. The coroner also noted one of the gun shells was pulled from Coleman’s brain.

On the scene, the older Coleman’s sister told police her brother’s car was missing and noted her brother never let anyone drive his car, including his son Coleman III, otherwise known as Lil Pee Wee.

Police placed a lookout on the car which was later found at 236 37th Place, SE.

Surveillance footage in the area where the car was found showed a black male wearing a knee-length or waist-length large black winter coat, jeans and bright colored sneakers. The man was seen getting in the car and driving away.

According to witness interviews, family members told police that while at a family gathering grieving the death of Coleman Jr., Coleman III was wearing the same attire as the man described in the surveillance footage. A picture taken at the family gathering confirmed Coleman III’s attire as well.

The following week police arrived at 236 37th Place, with a warrant for Coleman III’s arrest.

Documents detailing the police investigation, also contain multiple accounts of people exchanging text messages with Coleman Jr. after he was killed. It’s suggested someone was pretending to be Coleman Jr. in order to hide his death. However, police have not confirmed if it was Coleman III sending the messages.

Coleman III is being held without bond as he faces second-degree murder while armed charges.

The defendant is expected in court April 7 for a preliminary hearing.

Government argues against suggestion of other shooters at Dujuan Garris trial

The government on Wednesday reaffirmed their argument that Dujuan Garris is responsible for the shooting of James Anderson.

Responding to arguments made by the government, Prosecutor Michael Liebman refuted that there were others who were responsible.

Liebman also slammed the defense’s contention that it was a rumor Garris came into the house and was identified as the shooter. The defense tried to discredit the witnesses who testified during the trial, and but Liegman said all witnesses’ testimonies matched what witness Jaquan Coates said when he “saw” the “shooter.”

According to the prosecutors, Coates did not personally know Garris but had seen him before about “four times.”

In response to the defense’s argument that Coates and his family were promised $25,000 if they spoke to the police, the government said Coates and his family moved from one “rough” neighborhood to another, suggesting that money was not a motivation for him to testify.

During closing arguments, the defense argued Garris did not have the gun about a year after the shooting.  Leibman said it was irrelevant–what mattered is who “had the gun” when the shooting happened, and suggested it was Garris.

The jury has begun deliberating and Garris is still being held without bond.