Metropolitan Police Department detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating a suspect in connection to a misdemeanor sex abuse offense that occurred on Jan. 4, on the 700 block of 7th Street, NW.
According to a press release, at about 9:57 am, the suspect engaged in unwanted sexual contact with the victim then fled the scene.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating a vehicle in connection to a non-fatal shooting that occurred on Jan. 5, on the 3400 block of Croffut Place, SE.
According to a press release, at about 3:38 pm, officers located an adult male victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.
D.C. Witness observed a 30 percent decrease in domestic violence cases involving simple assault in the District of Columbia after the 2020 pandemic.
In 2022, there have been 84 domestic violence cases reported by D.C. Witness.
The District of Columbia describes domestic violence in their legal code as “ a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner, dating partner, or family member. The term “domestic violence” includes physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person.”
The Council on Criminal Justice reported the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated domestic violence rates because victims were confined to their homes and forced to spend time with their abusers due to stay-at-home orders.
Assault with a dangerous weapon is the most prevalent type of domestic violence incident, representing 58.8 percent of reported cases. Furthermore, simple assault is the second most common incident, being 17.6 percent of the total. Sex abuse, 13.2 percent, and threats, 10.4 percent, were the least common incidents. The total number of incidents for threats over the three year period is 19. The total number of sex abuse of the time span is 24. There was a total number of 32 reports for simple assault and assault with a dangerous weapon is 107 reports.
This chart depicts the relationship between the type of charge and its corresponding sentence. This comparison shows how domestic violence defendants are more commonly charged with firearm offenses and simple assault.
Between 2020 and 2022, 16 defendants were sentenced with simple assault with an incarceration period of two months. Additionally, 24 defendants were sentenced with firearm offenses with an incarceration period of nearly 8.5 months.
According to D.C. Code, threats applied to “whoever threatens within the District of Columbia to kidnap any person or to injure the person of another or physically damage the property of any person or of another person”. D.C. Witness reported charges of threats, including kidnapping and bodily harm.
The highest number of threats were in 2021 with eight reported incidents. Additionally, there were five reported threats in 2020 and six during 2022.
According to D.C. Defense Attorney, Shawn Sukumar, assault with a dangerous weapon is “any assault defined under the simple assault statute that is committed with a weapon that is defined under DC as a dangerous weapon, making it aggravated.”
D.C. Witness reported charges for assault with a dangerous weapon throughout the years 2020 through 2022, as depicted in the chart above. From 2020 to 2022, assault with a dangerous weapon saw a 53.57 percent increase.
On April 13, 2021, Miles Sullivan pleaded guilty to attempted assault with a dangerous weapon for shooting his girlfriend. The incident occurred at a laundromat with Sullivan pointing a firearm at his pregnant girlfriend before shooting her in the chest.
The victim described Sullivan as having anger management issues, according to a D.C. Witness article. Sullivan was sentenced to two years in prison with three years on supervised release.
D.C. Witness also reported charges of sex abuse, which ranges through four different levels from penetration to sexual contact. The chart shows an increase in sex abuse cases in 2022, with a total of 10 reported incidents. D.C. Witness also documented six sex abuse charges during 2021 and eight incidents in 2020.
On Nov. 21, a 30-year-old defendant pleaded guilty to second-degree child sex abuse. An anonymous phone call was received by Child Protective Services in Prince George County, Md, on August 31, 2021 in connection with the sexual abuse of a 9-year-old girl.
The victim stated the defendant, her father, exposed himself to her. The victim described being scared and shaking. The defendant ordered her to put her mouth on his private part.
The defendant confessed to police officers when questioned about the sexual abuse. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 16.
According to the DC Code, “simple assault is committed by an individual when an attempt or effort, with force or violence, to injure another person.” D.C. Witness reported 32 charges of simple assault throughout 2020, 2021, and 2022. Charges of simple assault decreased from 2020 to 2022. Specifically, there was a peak of 13 simple assault charges in 2020, which has decreased to nine reported incidents in 2022. This change from 2020 to 2022, is a 30.77 percent decrease from 13 to 9 reports.
On June 6, when Charles Augburn pleaded guilty to simple assault and unlawful possession of a firearm due to prior conviction for an incident on Jan. 30. The altercation between the defendant and the defendant’s girlfriend occurred with her accusing Augburn of flirting with other women. His girlfriend allegedly revealed a taser during the argument with Augburn brandishing a firearm, according to D.C. Witness.
Augburn registered as a gun offender and was sentenced for supervised release through the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA).
While the aforementioned cases do not include murder charges, domestic violence cases can escalate and result in victim fatalities.
On June 9, 2021, Steven Robinson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed for shooting his girlfriend Shanika Williams on July 12, 2020. On the day of the shooting, MPD officers arrived at the scene of the crime and pronounced Williams dead after identifying a gunshot wound on her chest.
During the sentencing, Robinson apologized, saying “it was in cold blood…I don’t even think I will probably ever be at peace. She was my friend.”
After pleading guilty, the defendant was sentenced to 12 years in prison, as well as five years of supervised release.
Similarly, on Oct. 3, 2022, a jury found 57-year-old Darnell Sterling guilty of second-degree murder. The victim, his 34-year-old girlfriend Olga Ooro, had previously filed for a stay away order that Sterling violated at the time of the murder.
Ooro was reported missing on July 17, 2020 and her body has still not been found.
According to D.C. Witness reports, this incident was the culmination of multiple physical altercations, as Ooro previously reported that Sterling busted her lip and injured her knees in April 2019.
Sterling is still held at the DC Jail and his sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 2.
Overall, the impact of the pandemic varied across different domestic violence offenses: threats, sex abuse, simple assault, and assault with a dangerous weapon. It is crucial to note that this research solely pertains to cases reported between Jan. 1, 2020 to Nov. 15, 2022 in the District of Columbia.
DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo sentenced a defendant on Jan. 5 to seven years in prison for obstruction of justice.
Torey Stockton, 24, was accused of killing 23-year-old Jasmine Light on Jan. 17, 2018, by shooting into a crowd outside of a convenience store on the 1500 block of U Street SE.
On July 21, Stockton was acquitted on first-degree murder while armed, three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
However, he was found guilty of obstruction of justice for calling his then-girlfriend, from the DC Jail, and asking her to delete incriminating evidence from his social media accounts.
He is required to also serve five years of supervised release.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives made an arrest in connection to a homicide that occurred on Jan. 4, on the 200 block of 15th Street, NW.
According to a press release, at about 8:40 am, officers located 52-year-old Michael Jones suffering from apparent blunt force trauma. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Jan. 4, 41-year-old Daniel Simon was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Rafinnan granted on Jan. 4 a continuance for a pending preliminary hearing.
Andre White, 49, is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting 38-year-old Darnell Bernard Shaw Jr. on Nov. 9, 2022, on the 1300 block of Congress Street SE.
Judge Raffinan granted defense attorney Quo Mike Judkins‘ request for a new preliminary hearing date during the hearing on Wednesday while they await the prosecution’s evidence.
The new date for the preliminary hearing is Jan. 25.
During a status hearing on Jan. 4, DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan set a jury trial date for a homicide case.
Barbara Sanders, 56, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 59-year-old Thurman Lee Knight on March 17, 2019, on the 500 block of Montana Avenue NE.
The prosecution informed Judge Raffinan of the evidence in the case that has already been tested and will be tested soon.
Judge Raffinan gave defense attorney, Mathew Davies until July 20 to submit drafts of a motion and order DNA testing.
The Pretrial Services Agency also advised the court of the defendant’s compliance with her release conditions.
The next hearing is scheduled for March 28.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating a suspect in connection to a non-fatal shooting that occurred on Dec. 31, on the 3900 block of South Capitol Street, SW.
According to a press release, at about 10:18 pm, officers located an adult male victim suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
On Jan. 4, officers from the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division located 41-year-old Daniel Simon and transported him to the Metropolitan Police Department’s homicide division.
Simon is suspected of murdering 52-year-old Michael Jones on the 200 block of 15th Street, NW.
He is being charged with second-degree murder.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on Jan. 3, on the 6200 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.
According to a press release, at about 5:58 pm, officers located 33-year-old Benjie Byers and two other adult males and one juvenile male victim suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
Benjie Byers was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Major Crash Investigations Unit is investigating a traffic fatality resulting from a vehicle crash that occurred on Dec. 30 on 14th Street and New York Avenue, NW.
According to MPD documents, the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division engaged in a traffic stop of a 2001 Buick LeSabre in the 700 block of 15th Street, NW. The Buick had an erroneous license plate and was not registered. The Buick sped away from the police during the traffic stop by turning right towards the 1400 block of New York Avenue, Northwest. The Buick then drove through the Northwest junction of 14th Street and New York Avenue while the traffic light was red.
A 2013 Chevrolet Sonic was moving south on 14th Street, Northwest, with a green traffic light at the time. The Buick LeSabre was struck by the Chevrolet Sonic in the left rear, which sent the Buick spinning and causing it to enter a crossing on the east side of the intersection. The Buick LeSabre struck two adult female pedestrians heading southward in the vicinity of a walk sign.
The decedent was identified as 31-year-old Shuyu Sui.
The driver of the Buick LeSabre was detained on-scene by United States Secret Service Uniformed Division and was later transported to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Spiro Stafilatos was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, no permit, and misuse of tags.
A homicide defendant pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed during a Jan. 3 hearing.
Kyrie Wells, 20, was initially charged with first-degree murder while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with intent to kill while armed, and carrying a pistol without a license on Nov. 19, 2020.
According to court documents, authorities were dispatched to the 2600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE on Sept. 26, 2020, and discovered 25-year-old Anthony Lee suffering from a gunshot wound.
During their investigation, detectives discovered there were four shooters and they were all caught in surveillance footage outside of the liquor store where the shooting occurred. Three of the shooters were seen on surveillance tape in front of the store, and a fourth was seen on its side.
The security footage from the night of the shooting was presented to two officers who are familiar with the locals who frequent the vicinity of MLK Avenue and Mellon Street, SE. They were identified as Niko Hall and Wells. Both men received the same charges.
The investigation also showed that Hall and Wells both uploaded images on Instagram four hours before the murder in the same attire as was captured on camera the night of the murder.
Defense attorney David Benowitz stated at the hearing on Tuesday that his client was aware of the 40-year maximum sentence for the offense. The prosecution and defense have agreed to a 12- to 14-year sentence in prison.
Hall is slated for a jury trial in October 2023.
As part of his plea, the prosecution agreed to dismiss the four other charges.
Parties are scheduled to return to court for a sentencing hearing on April 13.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating a vehicle in connection to a non-fatal shooting that occurred on Jan. 2, on the 1100 block of 1st Place, NW.
According to a press release, at about 4:35 pm, officers responded to the location for the report of a shooting. Shorty after, an adult male victim walked into a local hospital with a non-life threatening gunshot wound.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on Jan. 2, on the 1200 block of Alabama Avenue, SE.
According to a press release, at about 10:10 pm, officers located two juvenile male victims suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. One of the victims was pronounced dead.
The decedent was identified as 17-year-old Martez Toney.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating suspects in connection to a non-fatal shooting that occurred on Jan. 2, on the 1400 block of Spring Road, NW.
According to a press release at about 12:08 am, officers located an adult female victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening injury.
