Judge Schedules trial Readiness Hearing For Defendant Accused of Killing One-Year-Old Child

DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt scheduled a trial readiness hearing for a man accused of killing his partner’s one-year-old child.

On May 16, 2018, emergency personnel responded to an apartment on the 4700 block of Benning Road, SE, following a 911 call that reported an unconscious child. First responders found the child, Carter Sanders, and rushed him to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. A medical examiner ruled his death a homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head, according to court documents.

Brian Wooden is charged with felony murder and cruelty to children. The 32-year-old defendant has been released under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) since July 2019.

During the July 8 hearing, defense attorney Marnitta King told the court that she has an expert coming from California for the upcoming trial that is scheduled in April 2023.

Both parties said they were ready for trial.

The next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 9.

Judge Denies Defendant’s Request for New Counsel in 2018 Drive-By Shooting

DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun addressed several attorneys’ motions to withdraw and potential counsel conflicts in a 2018 drive-by shooting case.

Codefendants Qujuan Thomas, 23, and Gregory Taylor, 26, are charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with the shooting of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson on July 16, 2018, on the 300 block of 53rd Street, NE. The shooting is alleged to have resulted from a neighborhood rivalry.

Thomas and Taylor are also charged with conspiracy, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, criminal street gang affiliation and assault with intent to kill while armed.

During court proceedings on July 12, Taylor requested Judge Okun appoint new counsel to replace defense attorney Jonathon Zucker. Thomas alleged there was a conflict of interest due to Zucker’s prior representation of Thomas.

“I don’t think there’s an actual or potential conflict of interest with Mr. Zucker’s prior representation of Mr. Thomas,” Judge Okun said, denying Taylor’s request.

However, Judge Okun continued the investigation into a potential conflict of interest between Taylor and Zucker due to Zucker’s prior representation of another defendant separate from this case.

In a previous hearing on June 17, Judge Okun appointed defense attorney Samuel Bogash to investigate the conflict.

On July 12, after asking the defendant several questions virtually, Bogash told Judge Okun he would need to meet the defendant in person before making a determination.

Judge Okun then considered Taylor’s defense attorney Wole Falodun’s motion to withdraw from the case.

While Judge Okun indicated he was inclined to grant Falodun’s motion, he was concerned about whether Taylor would have proper representation during an upcoming July 29 hearing.

Judge Okun decided to grant Thomas’s defense attorney Kristin McGough’s motion to withdraw and appointed Julia Sawney as the defendant’s new counsel.

The parties are set to reconvene on July 29 to resolve the conflict-of-interest matter between Taylor and Zucker.

Jury Enters Deliberations for 2017 Homicide Trial

The jury for a murder case entered deliberations after a month-long trial.

Co-defendants Saquan Williams, 20, and Quincy Garvin, 22, are charged with conspiracy, first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm, and criminal street gang affiliation in connection to the shooting of 24-year-old Carl Hardy on the 1200 block of I Street, SE, on Sept. 10, 2017. Hardy later succumbed to his injuries on Oct. 1, 2017, at Prince George’s Hospital Center in Maryland.

The trial began on May 31 and ended on July 8. The prosecution’s case-started on May 31 and ended on July 6. Williams and Garvin’s defense case- ended on July 7.

On July 11, the prosecutors and defense attorney Kevin Robertson submitted their exhibits for the jury to review during their deliberations.

The jury is expected to continue deliberating on July 12.

Murder Trial Resumes with Prosecutors calling Witnesses to Testify

A homicide trial continued on July 11 with the prosecution calling five witnesses to the stand.

Torey Stockton, 24, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in a drive-by shooting that killed 23-year-old Jasmine Light and injured three other people on Jan. 17, 2018, on the 1500 block of U Street, SE.

In addition to first-degree murder, Stockton is also charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of obstruction of justice. His co-defendant, Kayla Thompson, is also charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly helping Stockton remove evidence.

The prosecution called an expert in forensic acoustic analysis, who works for Shot Spotter, a company that builds and operates microphones that locates and records gunshots.

According to the expert, the system picked up the sound of 14 gunshots at 11:07 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2018. Upon analysis, the expert ruled the location of the shots to be at the intersection of U street and 16^th street, SE.

According to the expert, the gunshots occurred within around 3.8 seconds, with none of the shots occurring at the same time.

The prosecution then called an expert in firearms, ballistics, and toolmark examination who analyzed 15 casings and 8 bullet fragments.

“In my opinion, they [the cartridge casings] were all fired by the same firearm,” the firearm expert said.

The expert also ruled that three of the fragments were fired by the same firearm, but the rest were too damaged for him to make definitive conclusions.

A forensic crime scene analyst for the Department of Forensic Science (DFS) testified to photographing injuries and collecting clothing from the three hospitals where victims were located.

The prosecution showed photographs of the injuries and asked the witness if all the injuries were consistent with bullet wounds.

She said yes.

The prosecution called a custodian of records for Facebook and Instagram to the stand to verify the accounts of Stockton. The prosecution then showed multiple photos, videos, and messages Stockton sent on instagram, including him waving around guns.

DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo scheduled the trial to resume on July 12.

Judge Finds Probable Cause in Homicide Case

DC Superior Court Judge Milton C. Lee found probable cause in a 2021 homicide case after testimony from the lead detective at a July 7 preliminary hearing.

Alvin Alexis Cruz-Garcia, 24, is charged with second-degree murder in connection to the March 23, 2021, murder of 38-year-old Ramon Gomez-Yanez. According to court documents, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to reports of an unconscious person at approximately 8:50 p.m. on the 1500 block of Ogden Street, NW. An autopsy later revealed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and neck.

“This homicide is on video,” the prosecution said. “There’s no question what happened.”

The footage appears to show Gomez-Yanez sitting in his vehicle from the time he parked at 7:50 p.m. to the time he exited the vehicle and entered the convenience store at 8:23 p.m. Three minutes later, the suspect, wearing red shoes with white soles and a Washington Nationals baseball cap, appears to approach and urinate near Gomez-Yanez’s vehicle.

Gomez-Yanez is then seen exiting the store with two cans of beer and approaches the suspect. Although there is no audio, Gomez-Yanez and the defendant appear to have a conversation before the suspect punches the victim in the face, causing him to fall to the ground.

The detective stated that MPD could not identify the suspect directly from the crime scene footage. MPD did, however, review surveillance footage that appeared to show the suspect, who was wearing the distinctive red and white shoes and Washington Nationals hat, exit Columbia Heights Metro Station at 8:13 p.m. on the evening of the incident.

The witness said MPD was then able to determine the unique number of the suspect’s SmartTrip metro card and track its movement throughout the city. The detective testified that he reviewed footage of the suspect, wearing the same distinctive hat and shoes, on the metro around the time of the homicide.

According to the detective, one of the videos recovered from video surveillance depicted the suspect, who was wearing the same hat and shoes, rent a Lime scooter outside of the Archives/Navy Memorial Metro Station. The witness reviewed data records sent by Lime, which revealed the account used to rent the scooter was registered under Cruz-Garcia’s name.

The detective testified that MPD responded to an address associated with Cruz-Garcia, where officers encountered another witness, who identified the suspect as Cruz-Garcia when shown screenshots taken from metro video surveillance. The witness also identified themself from footage depicting other individuals using the same SmartTrip card and referred to Cruz-Garcia as a family member.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Kevann Gardner attempted to elicit that the murder was committed in self-defense, saying “the decedent was clearly the aggressor.”

The detective testified that Gomez-Yanez’s blood-alcohol level was higher than the legal limit to drive at the time of his death and there was a visible knife clipped to the victim’s waistband.

The detective also said another witness observed Gomez-Yanez on the phone in the convenience store. According to the detective, the witness told him that, although he did not speak Spanish, Gomez-Yanez seemed angry while on the phone.

“[Gomez-Yanez] is not only bigger, stronger, drunk and upset, he is armed, armed with a knife,” Gardner said. “The decedent walked around the vehicle to confront Mr. Cruz-Garcia. He did that because he wanted trouble… their noses were touching.”

“[Cruz-Garcia] had every reason to fear for his life,” he said. “There is a good self-defense case here.”

Judge Lee rejected the self-defense argument, saying the issue of direct identification from the footage of the crime would inform his decision.

“This really is a case about identification,” Judge Lee said. “I don’t have any evidence on the record about an imminent threat.

“There is no indication that he used [the knife],” Judge Lee continued.

“The government has not made an identification that arises to probable cause that pertains to Mr. Cruz-Garcia,” Gardner said, explaining that only one witness identified the defendant from surveillance footage and that witness did so from footage of the metro and not from the crime scene.

In rebuttal, the prosecution insisted that the particularity of the Washington Nationals hat and the red shoes with the white soles in all surveillance footage was sufficient evidence to identify the defendant.

“This is a case where best evidence would not be the best way to characterize it,” the prosecutor said. “It would be a connecting of dots that all point to Mr. Cruz-Garcia committing the murder.”

Referencing the close relationship of a witness to Cruz-Garcia and the supplemental evidence of the linkage of Cruz-Garcia’s name to the rented Lime scooter, Judge Lee ruled that the identification was “sufficient for probable cause” and ruled that the case had enough evidence to move to trial.

The prosecutor asked that Cruz-Garcia be detained while awaiting trial.

“The decedent’s arms were by his side when the defendant punched him and he fell to the ground,” the prosecutor said. “When he falls, there are no attempts to get up… [Cruz-Garcia] braces himself against the car to make his kicks stronger, more accurate. It’s that methodical assault, the malice, the conduct that shows part of his nature to the court of what he is capable of… that is an extreme concern for the community.”

The prosecution also raised concerns that Cruz-Garcia would flee the country if released. Cruz-Garcia was apprehended on May 13 by U.S. Border Patrol in Douglas, Ariz. and was extradited to Washington, D.C. on June 7 to fulfill the outstanding DC Superior Court arrest warrant for homicide.

“[Cruz-Garcia] left the U.S. soon after the homicide,” the prosecution said. “Your honor can infer that he fled and then re-entered illegally.”

Veronica Guerrero, Cruz-Garcia’s immigration defense attorney, clarified that Cruz-Garcia is not charged with illegal re-entry.

“He did not know he was being charged with a crime,” Guerrero said. “He went to go see his dying Grandma. I don’t think he should be penalized for being a caring grandson.”

The defense requested that Cruz-Garcia be released under the High Intensity Supervision Program because he has no prior criminal history, but Judge Lee fervently rejected that idea in favor of detention, citing his concerns that Cruz-Garcia is a flight risk.

“Not a chance,” Judge Lee said. “How do I assure his appearance in court since he seems to freely leave the country through irregular channels? There’s no way to keep him from leaving the country. GPS will never solve that problem.”

Cruz-Garcia is scheduled for a felony status conference on Oct. 28.

Preliminary Hearing Starts with Detective’s Testimony

A lead detective of the Metropolitan Police Department testified on the events of a homicide on July 11.

Huey Bandy, 51, is charged with first-degree murder after allegedly stabbing Orlando Murphy on the 3600 block of Brothers Place. According to court testimony and video evidence, the victim drove up to the defendant’s house. After engaging in what appears to be a verbal altercation, the defendant allegedly reached into a car and stabbed the victim multiple times.

The lead detective was shown surveillance images from cameras across the street of the homicide along with parts of the video of Bandy’s interview with the police.

Footage showed Bandy kneeling down on the floor and asking God for forgiveness.

The lead detective testified to the phone call that she received from two mental health professionals who were treating the defendant, informing her that the defendant had admitted to the murder.

The lead detective also had a separate phone call with the defendant who said he would turn himself in to the police the next day, she said. Bandy turned himself the next day.

On cross examination, it was revealed that the defendant said he blacked out during the stabbing.

The defense also mentioned the missing footage that the police were unable to obtain because the video’s owner has obtained counsel and will not engage with the police.

DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun scheduled the preliminary hearing to continue on June 12.

Judge Releases Murder Defendant Under Supervision Program During Preliminary Hearing

DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt agreed to release a defendant from DC during the third day of a preliminary hearing over the prosecution’s objection.

Howard Fritts, 55, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection to the fatal shooting of 46-year-old Charlie Miller in the 900 block of Ninth Street NW on May 29. Miller suffered a single gunshot wound to the head and abrasions to his elbows, knees, and face to include a laceration to the forehead. Despite life-saving efforts, Miller succumbed to his injuries less than an hour after the incident.

The preliminary hearing spanned over three days and concluded with Judge Brandt making a finding of probable cause.

On July 6, defense attorney Jacqueline Cadman and William Alley argued for Fritts to be released into home confinement under the high intensity supervision program.

Cadman said Fritts has reconnected with his family, and they want to help him get back on his feet.

“Thankfully he has a family to help him,” Cadman told the Court. “He has a reason to stay clean.”

Judge Brandt noted Fritts’ non-violent criminal history and released the defendant under the conditions that he wear an ankle monitor and he’s not allowed to leave the house unless there is a medical emergency or he’s meeting with his lawyers. Additionally, Fritts has been ordered to stay away from three homeless encampments.

“Mr. Fritts does not deserve to be locked up pending his date with justice,” Judge Brandt said. “When there are other defendants who do because they’re violent.”

The court also found that Fritts did not shoot the victim but acted in concert with the other unknown suspect when Fritts attempted to steal the victim’s phone.

“The evidence tends to point to another person being the shooter,” Judge Brandt said.

The MPD is conducting an ongoing investigation regarding the unknown shooter.

Document: Arrest Made in a Homicide on Minnesota Avenue, Northeast

Metropolitan Police Department detectives made an arrest in the homicide of 30-year-old Israel Mattocks.

According to a press release, at approximately 11:44 a.m., officers located Mattocks suffering from an apparent gunshot wounds. On July 11, 21-year-old Darius Anderson was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed.

Document: Homicide on Atlantic Street, SE

Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on July 9 on the 100 block of Atlantic Street, SE.

At approximately 11:53 a.m., officers located an adult male and 33-year-old Amos Jones suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Jones was found dead at the scene.

Document: Arrest Made in Northeast Homicide

Metropolitan Police Department detectives made an arrest in a homicide that occurred on July 5 on the 700 block of Kenilworth Terrace, NE.

At approximately 1:10 a.m., 16-year-old Levoire Simmons was found suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.

On July 10, 33-year-old Alphonso Oliver was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed.

Document: Decedent Identified in Northeast Shooting

Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on July 9 on the 1600 block of New York Avenue, NE.

At approximately 2:40 a.m., officers located 23-year-old Brittany Palmer suffering from apparent stab wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Document: 17-Year-Old Killed In Northeast

Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a shooting death of a minor that occurred on July 9 on the 3500 block of Hayes Street, NE.

At approximately 5:26 a.m., officers located 17-year-old Damari Deon Wright, in a vehicle, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.

Document: Homicide in Northeast

Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on July 9 on the 1600 block of New York Avenue, NE.

At approximately 2:40 a.m., officers located an adult female suffering from apparent stab wounds. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene. According to a press release, the decedent’s identity is being withheld pending next of kin notification.

Murder Trial Begins for Defendant Accused of 2018 Drive-By Shooting

The trial of a man who allegedly killed one and injured three people began on July 7 with the prosecution saying the defendant was out for revenge.

During opening statements, the prosecution alleged that at the time of the shooting, Stockton was in the passenger seat of a silver sedan and shot into a group of people standing outside a convenience store where his associate was known to frequent.

“On Jan. 17, 2018, this defendant was out for revenge,” one of two prosecutors told the jurors. “He was there to send a message.”

The prosecution alleged that, after learning he was the only suspect for Light’s death, Stockton called his then-girlfriend, Thompson, from the DC Jail and told her to erase any incriminating photos and messages from his Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) found Instagram videos of Stockton waving a large handgun, threatening to keep shooting people until his gun was returned. Additional videos show the defendant bragging about this involvement in the shooting.

“After the defendant shot Jasmine Light, he was proud about it. He bragged about it.” said the prosecution, referring to Instagram posts on Stockton’s account.

Justin Okezie, one of Stockton’s defense attorneys, responded to the prosecution’s statement by telling the jurors to look at the facts of case, not just the words from social media posts.

“People in this generation go onto social media to resolve disputes. They say things they should never say,” Okezie said. “But that doesn’t mean they go commit crimes.”

Okezie then told the jurors that Stockton had an alibi and how Stockton’s family member and phone GPS data placed the defendant in Virginia at the time of the shooting.

After both parties completed their opening statements, the prosecution called three witnesses to the stand, beginning with the victim’s sister.

The sister appeared emotional as she described her relationship with her sister, which grew closer after their mother’s death more than 10-years ago. “That was my little sister,” she said. “She was my backbone.”

The first MPD officer who arrived at the crime scene recalled hearing gunshots and seeing an individual, Light, lying on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound on her head. The officer said he initially assumed Light was dead due to the amount of blood on the sidewalk but immediately called for an ambulance after hearing her take a breath.

After calling for the ambulance, the officer secured the scene and interviewed two witnesses who had also been shot. During cross-examination, the officer told Okezie none of the witnesses he interviewed were able to identify the shooter.

The lead technician, a forensic crime scene scientist for the Department of Forensic Science (DFS), who was responsible for collecting, documenting, and processing the evidence found at the scene, testified he collected 15 cartridge casings, six casing fragments, and a projectile found inside the convenience store for processing.

According to court documents, the target of the shooting was believed to be an associate of Stockton who had borrowed his “prized possession,” a gold Glock handgun.

DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo scheduled the trial to resume on July 11.

Document: Second Arrest Made in a Homicide

Metropolitan Police Department made an arrest in a homicide that occurred on July 9, on the 2500 block of Hayes Street, NE.

According to a press release, at about 5:26 pm, officers located 17-year-old Damari Deon Wright in a vehicle suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.

On Aug. 9, an 18-year-old male was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed.

On Aug. 15, 18-year-old Kenneth Swann was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed.

Page 1 of 8.9.22 Arrest Made in a Homicide 3500 Block of Hayes Street, Northeast

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