A Maryland man has been arrested in reference to a February homicide.
At approximately 5:10 a.m. on Feb 17, officers responded to the 100 block of N Street, NW, for the report of a shooting, according to a press release. There, they found 32-year-old Michael Whitehead, of Hyattsville, Md., suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
On April 21, 33-year-old Darrow Johnson, of Clinton, Md., was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed.
A suspect was arrested after a woman fell out of an apartment complex on the 4500 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW, shortly after 7:00 p.m. The victim reportedly had a rope tied around her legs.
Officers arrived at the scene on April 21 to find the woman suffering from significant injuries and took her to a local hospital. As of a press conference later that night, she was in critical but stable condition.
“As officers were investigating and trying to determine information, a suspect arrived on the scene. He was distraught. He provided some information that lead us to believe that he was a suspect in this case and he has since been placed under arrest,” Second District Commander Duncan Bedlion said during the press conference.
The one-and-a-half-year-old child of the victim and suspect was reported missing in relation to the incident but later found with a family member.
A firearm was recovered from the apartment building. Bedlion also confirmed there were reptiles taken from the apartment and handed over to animal control.
A murder defendant accused of setting a man on fire rejected a plea offer.
During the early hours of May 13, 2020, firefighters found 62-year-old Darryl Finney suffering from burns to his back, legs and arms on the 900 block of H Street, NE. He told emergency medical service providers someone threw a firebomb at him, according to court documents. Finney succumbed to his injuries two days later.
D’Aundrey Scott was arrested less than a week after the victim’s death and currently faces charges of first-degree murder, arson and assault with intent to kill. The 27-year-old defendant rejected a plea offer during his most recent hearing on April 21.
The prosecution’s offer would have allowed Scott to plead out on charges of second-degree murder, arson, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with intent to kill and destruction of property.
DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee scheduled the defendant to go on trial in August 2023.
During the proceedings, the prosecutor said she received a letter from Scott she has yet to open.
Defense attorney Roderick Thompson said he has never had this happen and spoke privately with the prosecutor about the letter. He asked Judge Lee if he could have some time to speak to his client and research the situation.
Judge Lee gave Thompson two weeks to resolve the issue. The prosecutor will have two weeks to respond from there.
Parties are scheduled to reconvene for a status hearing on June 24.
A Metropolitan Police Department detective detailed the investigation into the death of a man who was found with multiple gunshot wounds in a Capitol Hill neighborhood elementary school’s athletic field during a preliminary hearing.
Aaron Wiggins, 26, was shot multiple times on the night of Oct. 6, 2021. He was pronounced dead at the scene and taken to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office, where an autopsy revealed that he sustained 12 gunshot wounds to the elbow, arms, hands, legs, hip and chest.
The following December, Antonio Hawley, 19, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed. His preliminary hearing began on April 20 with testimony from the lead MPD detective on the case.
Surveillance footage examined during the investigation shows Hawley and a witness walking up to the entrance of the athletic field before a game and later leaving after the shooting. Defense attorney Lisbeth Sapirstein pointed out how the footage shows Hawley walking into the game wearing dark-colored leggings, a black compression shirt, black and white shorts and yellow football cleats. He did not appear to be wearing any type of head covering, such as a ski mask or hoodie, or holding any type of bag.
“If someone has just committed a shooting, they would probably keep their face covered,” Sapirstein said. “You wouldn’t rip off your mask and walk off.”
The witness accompanying Hawley was wearing a sweatshirt over his head, light-colored sweatpants, white shoes and a champion bag across his chest. An eyewitness described the shooter as being somewhere from 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall with a skinny build, dark complexion and a grey and white outfit. When Sapirstein asked the detective which of the two the description sounded the most like, the detective responded, “the description doesn’t match either one of them.”
Hawley is a 6-foot-1-inch Black man with a light complexion, according to court documents.
The detective said another witness told investigators the shooter was wearing white tights and a black hoodie.
Hawley and the witness were picked up by a friend at a nearby street after the shooting. When the friend asked the two what happened, Hawley responded, “We don’t need to talk about it,” the detective said.
During an interview with police, the witness who is seen with Hawley in the surveillance footage said “Slick”, which police believe is Hawley’s nickname, “shouldn’t have done that.” The witness told the detective he tried to stop the incident but it was too late.
Sapirstein argued that this witness could have been the one responsible for Wiggins’ death. She said her client told law enforcement he would be willing to take a lie detector test.
DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee ruled that the case has enough evidence to go to trial. After making the ruling, he heard arguments on the possibility of Hawley’s release from DC Jail.
Sapirstein said Hawley can live with a family member and would comply with all court orders if released. The prosecutor countered by calling Hawley’s record a “repeated demonstration” of failed attempts to obey court orders and the law.
“He has no clear intention to so I would ask the court to keep him detained,” the prosecutor said.
Judge Lee decided that Hawley will remain at DC Jail, citing his multiple contacts with the courts and an active warrant in Virginia.
“He has a very concerning prior history and deciding not to appear in Virginia shows that he may be a flight risk,” Judge Lee said.
The defendant is scheduled to return to court on July 12 for a status hearing. In the meantime, prosecutors have two weeks to hand over body-worn camera footage to the defense.
A domestic violence defendant was sentenced for swinging a knife at a police officer and her sister.
“Everyone has their struggles, it’s how you deal with them,” Anna Ebiasah said during her sentencing hearing on April 19.
Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys acknowledged the defendant’s struggles with mental illness and her need for treatment. The defendant said the mental health services she’s been receiving have been helpful and she wants to set an example for her child.
The defendant’s sister attended the hearing virtually. She said she cannot make empty promises and say what the court wants to hear, but must actively try to get better for herself and her son.
Nearly a year ago, the defendant was charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. In March, she pleaded down to one count of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of simple assault.
DC Superior Court Judge James Crowell sentenced her to nine months for the attempted assault with a dangerous weapon charge and a consecutive 180 days for the simple assault charge. The sentences were fully suspended. The defendant will spend 18 months on supervised probation.
A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a trial for three co-defendants charged in connection with a deadly drive-by shooting.
The three, 18-year-old Nelfy Hernandez, 20-year-old DeAndre Levy and 18-year-old Trey Prillerman, are accused of firing into a group of teenagers on the 5500 block of 9th Street, NW, on Aug. 10, 2020. Taijhon Wyatt, 17, was killed in the shooting. During the most recent hearing for this case on April 18, the co-defendants were scheduled for trial.
Levy’s attorneys, Jonathan Zucker and Thomas Healy, are seeking their client’s release from DC Jail pending trial on the allegation that one of the witnesses lied about the case. This witness ties the three defendants to the scene of the shooting and is also currently held at DC Jail on unrelated criminal charges. The prosecutor said they are hoping this witness will agree to testify at the upcoming trial.
Douglas Wood, Hernandez’s attorney, said the “witness lied” during the proceedings. He requested Hernandez’s release from DC Jail on a similar basis. He argued it is unlikely this witness will agree to testify, and if he does, “he is going to lie.”
Hernandez is currently on course to complete his high school diploma. He has also completed several certificates and “is not wasting his time at the Department of Corrections,” Wood said.
The defendant has cut off his GPS monitor in the past, but Woods retorted that he did not flee his home after he did so. The prosecutor said he still has other extraditable charges in Maryland. They also said they have since recovered DNA from the car allegedly used in the drive-by shooting that matches Prillerman and Hernandez.
Judge Maribeth Raffinan decided to continue the detention of all three defendants, who were visibly agitated by the ruling.
The trial is scheduled to take place in June 2023.
A suspect has been arrested in reference to the fatal shooting of 68-year-old Nathaniel Martin.
At approximately 6:05 a.m. on Nov. 15, 2021, officers responded to the 1900 block of 14th Street, SE, due to a report of a shooting, according to a press release. There, they located two adult men, including Martin, with gunshot wounds nearby. Both were transported to a local hospital. Martin eventually succumbed to his injuries.
On April 18, 30-year-old William Brock was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed. The case remains under investigation.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are asking for the public’s help locating a suspect in the fatal shooting of a 32-year-old Maryland man.
At approximately 5:10 a.m. on Feb. 27, officers responded to the 100 block of N Street, NW, for the report of a shooting, according to a press release. They found the victim, Michael Whitehead, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Darrow Johnson, a 33-year-old resident of Clinton, Md., is wanted on a DC Superior Court arrest warrant for second-degree murder while armed.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a fatal shooting that took place in Northeast, DC.
At approximately 11:16 a.m. on April 17, officers responded to the 3800 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE, for the sounds of gunshots, according to a press release. There, they found 38-year-old Tiffany Wiggins suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Less than a month after a murder trial ended with jurors unable to reach a verdict, the defendant requested new counsel as prosecutors gear up to re-try the case.
Chad Hawthorne is charged with first-degree murder while armed, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction. Prosecutors allege the 41-year-old shot 35-year-old Antonio Bassett in an apartment on the 3900 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, on May 22, 2017. The jurors in his recent trial deliberated for more than a week but could not come to a decision on any of his charges.
During an April 13 status hearing, DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo was informed of strategic disagreements between Hawthorne and his attorneys, Steven Kiersh and Megan Allburn.
After hearing from the defendant, Judge Demeo warned him of the pros and cons of replacing his counsel. New attorneys, she noted, would not necessarily know the case as well as those who were with him for the trial. Still, she agreed to appoint him new lawyers.
Jonathan Zucker and Dorsey Jones will be replacing Hawthorne’s previous attorneys. An ascertainment of counsel hearing is scheduled for April 21. In the meantime, a motion for the defendant’s release from DC Jail awaits a ruling.
A jury found Marquette Jordan not guilty of first-degree murder while armed in the death of Ivan Lynch. They are still deliberating over the lesser-included charge of second-degree murder while armed.
Jordan, 30, is accused of stabbing 40-year-old Lynch to death on April 28, 2018, in an apartment on the 900 block of 5th Street, SE.
The trial began on March 28 and ended with closing arguments on April 7. The jury has been in deliberations ever since.
On April 12, they found Jordan not guilty of armed robbery but were deadlocked on the murder charge. They are still deliberating the charges of carrying a dangerous weapon and simple assault.
The Metropolitan Police Department announced that two separate homicides occurred on April 16.
At approximately 4:08 a.m. officers responded to the 1100 block of Raum Street, NE, due to a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located 26-year-old John Jones inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds. He was later pronounced dead, according to the press release.
At approximately 10:44 a.m. officers responded to the 1200 block of Southern Avenue, SE, due to a report of a shooting, Upon arrival, officers located 28-year-old Darron Holmes with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on scene, according to the press release.
A DC Superior Court judge found probable cause that a woman committed second-degree murder while armed in relation to a deadly stabbing in the Congress Heights neighborhood.
Wayniece Ellis is accused of stabbing 41-year-old Tayla Wright to death on the 600 block of Parkland Place, SE, on Oct. 7, 2021. The two were panhandling in front of a Crown gas station when they got into an argument. Wright threw rocks at Ellis and spit at her before the defendant pulled out a knife, according to court documents.
Ellis allegedly stabbed Wright multiple times before being apprehended by first responders.
During an April 13 preliminary hearing, the lead detective on the case testified that the 29-year-old defendant said she felt “guilty as hell” and alleged that Wright tried to stab her in the aftermath of the deadly altercation. Officers found Ellis with a knife in her hand and injuries consistent with wounds from a knife, according to court documents.
Conversations with eyewitnesses indicate Ellis was the only one who possessed a knife during the incident, the detective said.
Defense attorney Quo Judkins questioned the credibility of the witnesses based on their relationships with Wright and the possibility that they were intoxicated when the stabbing took place. The detective testified that one of the witnesses did seem intoxicated because they slurred their words and had difficulty standing up and walking.
Judkins asked the lead detective if he knew Ellis and Wright were in a romantic relationship before the stabbing. The lead detective said he was aware of the relationship.
He said the two would fight a lot over Wright being intoxicated in front of Ellis’ child. Wright was staying with Ellis before getting kicked out for destroying property. The couple was later arrested for disorderly affray when they fought each other in public.
Judge Robert Okun ruled that the case has enough evidence to go to trial. He denied a request to release Ellis from custody with GPS monitoring.
Parties in this case are scheduled to reconvene for a status hearing on June 9.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating the fatal shooting of a 62-year-old man.
At approximately 12:39 a.m. on April 15, officers responded to the 1500 block of Good Hope Road, SE, for the report of a shooting, according to a press release. They found the victim, Gregory Burton, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A detective from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit testified during a preliminary hearing for a defendant facing sex abuse and burglary charges.
Last July, police responded to a possible burglary in a Deanwood neighborhood apartment. Upon arrival, they learned that a sexual assault had also allegedly occurred. A detective from the Sexual Assault Unit responded to the scene and initiated an investigation. In February, a 24-year-old man was arrested and charged with fourth-degree sex abuse and first-degree burglary.
During the defendant’s preliminary hearing on April 12, a Sexual Assault Unit detective testified that the victim said she returned from a birthday party at approximately 5 a.m. on the day of the incident and fell asleep. Her cousin and two younger children were in the apartment at the time. The victim says she woke up to an unknown man molesting her, according to court documents.
The victim grabbed a frying pan and pursued the man into the next room. He escaped through an open window after she grabbed a knife from the kitchen, she says. Five out of six fingerprints from the window matched the defendant.
A crime scene technician arrived at the scene and collected a DNA sample from the victim’s body. The swabs pointed to the defendant as one of the contributors to the DNA.
During cross-examination, the detective confirmed to defense attorney Sara Kopecki that she was not the initial officer on the investigation. She said there were no signs of forced entry into the apartment, which did not appear to have been ransacked when officers arrived. However, the victim did say her purse had been dumped out.
The detective said the victim hadn’t left the window open and had not seen the defendant open the window. According to the detective, the complainant could not find her phone to call 911 and went to the neighbor’s house to see if they could call. When the neighbors did not answer the door, the victim stopped a passerby, who called the police.
According to court documents, the 911 caller was interviewed and reported that they observed a man walk out the front door of the apartment building and walked around the building. The witness said they heard a car beep, like the sound when a button on a key fob is pressed and saw a car parked in front of the building.
The victim and defendant do not know each other but have a remote connection through the victim’s sister.
Judge Marisa Demeo ruled that there is enough evidence for this case to go to trial. Kopecki asked for her client to be released from DC Jail, while the prosecution wanted him to remain detained.
The prosecutor read a letter from the victim, which stated, “I am scared to live alone again.”
“He needs help,” the victim stated about the defendant.
Judge Demeo said the evidence against the defendant is strong and called the nature of the offense troubling. She said there are no release conditions or combinations of release conditions that would ensure the community’s safety.
The defendant will remain at DC Jail while he awaits his next hearing, which is scheduled for May 12.
