Suspect Who Killed Stranger Gets 20 Years

DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman sentenced a murder defendant to 20 years in prison on Sept. 12.

Alvin Cruz-Garcia, 27, was convicted by a jury on June 6 of second-degree murder while armed for the fatal beating of Ramon Gomez-Yanez, 38, on March 23, 2021 on the 1500 block of Ogden Street, NW.

According to the prosecution, Cruz-Garcia was urinating close to Gomez-Yanez’s car and the two had a verbal exchange. Then, as surveillance footage shows, Cruz-Garcia fatally beat Gomez-Yanez.

The prosecution argued for the toughest sentence within the 12-to-24 year guidelines, noting the especially brutal nature of the murder. They also said that Cruz-Garcia left the country for Mexico after the incident and did not return for a year.

“During that time, the Gomez-Yanez family had no idea if they would ever get justice,” the prosecutor said.

They also noted that Cruz-Garcia had not expressed remorse or a desire to take responsibility for the death throughout proceedings.

Gomez-Yanez’s brother spoke, telling the court that Cruz-Garcia’s actions caused great grief in his family and the community.

“He killed a father, a brother, an uncle, a son and a nice neighbor,” Gomez-Yanez’s brother said.

Defense attorney Julie Swaney argued for a 12-year sentence, saying that Cruz-Garcia struggles with alcohol and a traumatic past, but has no criminal record. She said Cruz-Garcia’s parents abandoned him when he was young to move to the United States.

Swaney also explained that he is “extremely reserved” and laughs or smiles when uncomfortable, which she described as a nervous tic.

Cruz-Garcia chose not to give a statement.

Judge Edelman expressed concern for Swaney’s argument.

“It’s hard to see what in Mr. Cruz-Garcia’s life trajectory led to this,” he said.

Judge Edelman underscored the brutality of the incident, describing it as “almost intimate” and “entirely senseless.”

Judge Edelman sentenced Cruz-Garcia to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He has 30 days to appeal.

No further dates were set.

Defendant Likely to Plead Insanity in Double Homicide

An attorney for a murder defendant told DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman that he will likely pursue an insanity defense on Sept. 12.

Ronzoni Jackson, Jr., 26, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior crime of violence. The charges stem from his alleged involvement in the fatal shootings of 28-year-old Octavio Quintano and 35-year-old Osmine Quintano on Dec. 12, 2023, at a liquor store on the 2300 block of 4th Street, NE.

According to court documents, the suspect was initially identified through distinctive facial features captured on surveillance footage.

Defense attorney Sellano Simmons said that the defense has an expert who will evaluate Ronzoni to determine whether to use an insanity defense during trial. The prosecution also said they want a Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) evaluation to determine if Jackson can be held criminally responsibile before trial.

Judge Edelman emphasized the importance of the defense expert’s meeting the Oct. 1 deadline for their report.

Parties are set to reconvene on Oct. 3.

Document: MPD Seeks Suspect in N Street Shooting

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are seeking assistance in locating a suspect involved in a shooting on Sep. 15 in the 200 block of N Street, SW. No injuries were reported, but surveillance captured images of the suspect and a person of interest.

Document: MPD Makes Arrest in Northwest Fatal Shooting

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 20-year-old Carlton Simon, who is alleged to be involved in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Angel Ernesto Dominquez on May 29 in NW, DC. Simon has been charged with Second Degree Murder While Armed.

DOCUMENT: MPD Announces Two Arrests, Seeking Third Suspect in Northwest Homicide

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of two juveniles, Kelvin Thomas and Jailen Lucas, both 17, in connection with the homicide of 21-year-old Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, which occurred on Jun. 30 in the 1200 block of 7th Street, NW. A third suspect, 18-year-old Naqwan Antonio Lucas, is being sought for First Degree Murder while Armed. The incident also involved 1 surviving victim, an adult female, and a 16-year-old male who were injured but survived.

Document: MPD Investigating Eastern Avenue Fatal Pedestrian Crash

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are investigating a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred on Sept. 6 on the 1100 block of Eastern Avenue, NE. Angela Boston, 40, was struck by a black SUV with tinted windows, which fled the scene. Despite being transported to a hospital, she succumbed to her injuries. Detectives from the Major Crash Investigations Unit are leading the investigation.

Prosecutors Miss Deadline To Indict Carjacking Defendant

DC Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur granted prosecutors more time to issue an indictment against a carjacking defendant despite objections from the defense on Sept. 12.

Devon Rogers, 26, is charged with armed carjacking and a misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property for his alleged involvement in an incident on May 23 on the 800 block of 7th Street, NW.

According to court documents, multiple suspects removed two victims from their car and assaulted them by hitting them with guns. The suspects then stole their belongings and drove away in the car.

Prior to the hearing, prosecutors filed a motion to postpone the trial, which was scheduled to begin on Sept. 18 and requested a 45-day extension of the indictment deadline. Initial charges were filed against Rogers on May 24 and prosecutors failed to meet the 90-day indictment deadline on Aug. 22.

Gregg Baron, Rogers’ attorney, opposed the extension and requested that the case be dismissed, arguing that the prosecutor was not ready for trial and missed the deadline.

Judge Arthur denied Baron’s request for dismissal, granted the prosecution’s extension, and said there was good cause for the extension due to reasons discussed at the bench.

In addition, Judge Arthur granted Baron’s request to withdraw from the case due to personal reasons. Baron asked the judge to appoint Bryan Bookhard and noted Rogers spoke highly of him and that they had a past relationship.

Bookhard was present at the hearing and Judge Arthur asked if he would be ready for trial on Sept. 18. Bookhard responded, “I don’t even know the charges.” Judge Arthur then informed him of the extension and said, “It just flew right past you.”

In light of the delayed trial, Baron requested Rogers’ release to prevent him from “languishing in jail while what the [prosecutor] is doing plays out.” To support the release request, Baron noted Rogers has employment opportunities, is involved in DC Public Schools as a mentor and tutor for students, and has a place to stay if released.

Judge Arthur said he will consider arguments regarding Rogers’ release at the next hearing.

Parties are scheduled to reconvene on Sept. 18.

‘They Opened The Doors And They Just Started Shooting’ Murder Eyewitness Says in 911 Call

An eyewitness to a 13-year-old boy’s murder testified during a trial before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on Sept. 10.

Reginald Steele, 26, is charged with conspiracy, first-degree murder, 10 counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, 11 counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, four counts of carrying a pistol without a license, five counts of possession of an unregistered firearm, and two counts of tampering with physical evidence.

These charges stem from Steele’s alleged involvement in four separate shootings including the murder of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes and injury of another juvenile on March 1, 2020, on the 600 block of S Street, NW. Steele’s accused of a separate shooting the same day with no reported injuries on the unit block of Channing Street, NE.

The other incidents Steele is accused of include a non-fatal shooting that injured two individuals on Feb. 22, 2020 on the 700 block of Farragut Street, NW, and a non-fatal shooting that injured three on Feb. 24, 2020 on the 1700 block of 9th Street, NW.

During the second week of Steele’s trial, prosecutors called an eyewitness to Lukes’ murder to testify. Around 2 p. m. on March 1, the witness recalled driving home from church when two men exited the car in front of her and shot into a crowd of boys in an alley. According to the witness, both shooters immediately extended their arms with guns as they exited the car.

“It was like a clown car,” said the witness. She described the men as large in comparison to the vehicle and said they folded themselves to get back in after the shooting.

Following the shooting, the eyewitness said she followed the suspects in an attempt to photograph their license plate, but could not unlock her phone in time. However, she recalled the vehicle as a small tan brown four-door hatchback with a Maryland license plate.

Jurors heard the 911 call from the eyewitness minutes after the shooting in which she said “They opened the doors and they just started shooting…I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.” She continued in disbelief, “Oh my, God…this stuff happens on TV.”

The eyewitness confirmed with prosecutors that no obstructions blocked her view of the shooters. She described them as male because of their build and race as Black or brown but clarified that she only had a clear view of the shooter that exited from the back of the vehicle because he was closest to her.

Megan Allburn, Steele’s attorney, questioned the distance between the witness and the suspect vehicle, which the witness described as one car-length. Next to the jury, Allburn stood about a car-length away, with her side-profile toward the witness. Allburn asked if the witness could see if she had facial hair or glasses and the witness confirmed that she had neither.

Prosecutors confirmed with the witness that the closer shooter wore a hoodie which is why she could not discern facial features.

The prosecution also called an investigator from the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) electronic surveillance unit who recovered video evidence. The investigator gathered videos from a BP gas station on the 3400 block of Georgia Avenue, NW and from Trinity Towers on the 3000 block of 14th Street, NW.

The BP surveillance from March 1 at approximately 12:53 p. m. showed a silver four-door vehicle pull in front of the gas pumps. The investigator noted that two people exited from the front seats of the vehicle and entered the lobby of the BP. Then, they exited the gas station, got back into the car, and drove off.

Prosecutors noted the vehicle had markings on the back passenger-side panel.

The investigator said there were no dates or times on the Trinity Towers surveillance videos. In the videos, two men exited the building, one walked south on 14th Street and the other entered the driver’s side of a vehicle. The witness could not discern if it was the front or back of the car.

Gemma Stevens, Steele’s other attorney, noted that the investigator never checked the video time stamps to real time. The investigator also confirmed that he could not see into the car on the videos from either location.

A forensic scientist from the Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) also testified who responded to the 500 block of Lamont Street, NW on March 4 and captured photos of a Kia Soul with a Maryland License plate. Prosecutors showed photos taken by the witness including a big sticker behind the rear passenger door that read “getaround.com”.

According to the forensic scientist and the photos, the Kia also had a damaged tailgate, blue tape holding up the passenger mirror, and two parking tickets on the windshield.

Parties are scheduled to continue the trial on Sept. 11.

Judge Imposes Suspended Sentence for Stabbing Defendant

DC Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro imposed a suspended sentence for a stabbing defendant on Sept. 9.

On July 17, Starleash Clyburn, 36, pled guilty to the attempted assault with a dangerous weapon (ADW) for her involvement in a stabbing that occurred on the 2700 block of Langston Place, SE, on March 24.

Through the deal, Clyburn also pleaded guilty to simple assault for her involvement in an unrelated domestic violence incident.

The prosecution argued for 12 months of incarceration for the assault with a dangerous weapon charge and 180 days for the simple assault charge. They noted that the defendant had stabbed another individual while on pretrial release and had not complied with drug testing in the past. They also cited a misdemeanor charge from 14 years ago, arguing that Clyburn cannot be compliant.

Clyburn’s defense attorney, Karen Minor, argued for a six-month suspended sentence and an additional 90 days for the assault with probation.

According to Minor, Clyburn had followed many of her pretrial conditions faithfully, was receiving mental health treatment, and had taken multiple courses while in jail, including anger management, critical thinking, and substance abuse.

“These 89 days, I’ve learned a lot,” said Clyburn, after reflecting on her time in jail.

Judge Di Toro imposed a 12-month suspended sentence with 12 months of probation and 2 years of supervised release.

Judge Di Toro also ordered a $100 contribution to the victims’ fund, a psychological evaluation for anxiety issues, and a substance abuse evaluation for the AWD charge.

Clyburn received an additional 90-day suspended sentence and 12 months concurrent probation, along with an order to pay an additional $50 to the victims’ fund for the simple assault charge.

No further dates were set.

Defense Explains Defendant’s Torment in DC Jail During Sentencing

A carjacking defendant was sentenced before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno on Sept. 15.

On July 8, Markese Lewis, 31, pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit robbery for his involvement in the carjacking of an Uber driver on the unit block of Banner Lane, NW, on May 31.

At sentencing, defense attorney Patrick Nowak provided a letter that Lewis wrote for the court. Judge Salerno took a few moments to read the letter that Lewis wanted to be read silently.

The prosecution explained that the victim chose not to present a victim impact statement in court and stated, “the victim continues to be afraid, serving as a rideshare driver.”

Additionally, the prosecution mentioned that Lewis had a 2022 misdemeanor case in which he was involved in the assault on a DC bus driver.

During that incident, Lewis allegedly forced the bus driver out of the bus and onto the ground. According to the prosecution, there were co-defendants who participated in the assault. The prosecution highlighted how Lewis was under supervision during the time of the assault.

The defense argued that during the carjacking there was no physical contact between Lewis and the Uber driver, and that he only caused damage to the inside of the front driver side door.

Evidently, the defense was not opposed to the prosecution’s order of restitution to pay for the Uber driver’s property damage.

Additionally, Nowak emphasized, “Mr. Lewis has been tortured at the DC Jail.” Lewis’ family, who was present in court, had sent letters explaining how Lewis had struggled with grief, developed alcoholism, and dealt with the trauma of isolation while in jail, according to the defense.

Essentially, the defense wanted the court to impose a period of probation for Lewis and asked that their main focus be rehabilitation.

Lewis was sentenced for the charge of assault with intent to commit robbery. The sentence consisted of a confinement of 24 months, with three years of supervised release.

Additionally, Lewis was ordered to pay a restitution amount of $1,500.

No further dates were set.

Document: MPD Makes Arrest in Southeast Shooting

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 44-year-old Earl Harris of SE, DC, in connection with a shooting incident on Aug. 21. Following a minor vehicle collision on the 1600 block of 23rd Street, SE, Harris allegedly fired multiple gunshots at the victim, who was not injured. Harris has been charged with Assault with Intent To Kill.

Document: MPD Makes Arrest in Union Station Homicide

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 23-year-old Faizon Mason, who is alleged to be involved in a fatal shooting at Union Station on Feb. 10. The victim, identified as 18-year-old Wayne McDaniel, was found deceased near the escalators to the parking garage. Mason has been charged with second-degree murder while armed.

Defense Requests Mental Evaluation in a Stabbing

DC Superior Court Renee Raymond granted a request for an initial mental health evaluation in a domestic violence incident on Sept. 12.

Chauncey Liverpool, 32, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for his alleged involvement in a stabbing that occurred on Sept. 9 on the 4000 block of 3rd Street, SE. Both Liverpool and the victim sustained injuries.

The stabbing allegedly occurred while Liverpool and the victim were having a conversation about what Liverpool could do to become a better person. The conversation escalated as Liverpool allegedly began to yell and become upset, eventually picking up a pair of scissors to stab the victim. Following the stabbing, the victim positively identified Liverpool as the individual responsible.

The defense, Howard X McEachern, requested a forensic screening of Liverpool during his preliminary hearing. He saidl mental health issues could be used as a potential explanation and mitigating factor during the case. Judge Raymond granted this request.

The parties are slated to reconvene on Sept. 23.

Stabbing Case Dismissed After Defendant Found Mentally Incompetent

DC Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean granted the defense’s motion to dismiss a case against a defendant accused of stabbing a person due to mental incompetence on Sept. 12.

Dwayne Waller, 74, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for allegedly stabbing a person in the chest on the 4600 block of H Street NW on Sept. 19, 2022.

In 2023, the defendant was found mentally incompetent to stand trial and since then has been civilly committed to a facility.

In June, Waller’s defense counsel, Anthony Smith, filed a motion to dismiss charges against Waller. The defense claimed the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) analysis found that Waller is incompetent and sees “no substantial possibility” that he can stand trial in the foreseeable future.

Specifically, a mental health social worker testified that Waller requires substantial living assistance, appears disoriented and confused, and often looks for family members who are dead.

Additionally, Smith argued there are due process issues with holding pending criminal charges on someone who will never be able to prove their innocence. To stand trial a defendant must understand the charges against him and help his lawyer defend the case.

Prosecutors opposed the request, asking Judge McLean to keep the case opened for an additional year. However, McLean agreed with the defense, and dismissed the case.

No further dates were set.

Co-Defendants Plead Guilty to Carjacking

Two carjacking defendants accepted plea deals before DC Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe on Sept. 8.

Kevin Lester, 37, and Traviyan Hardy, 24, were originally charged with unarmed carjacking for their involvement in a carjacking on June 13. The incident occurred on the 300 block of 40th Street, SE.

Judge Pipe acknowledged and accepted the co-defendants’ requests to enter pleas. Lester and Hardy both pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

In acknowledging guilt the defendants waive their right to trial, indictment, and DNA testing. In turn, the prosecution will not be seeking an indictment. The prosecution also recommended that the two counts run concurrently.

The DC sentencing guideline in this case calls for between 48-and-66 months for Lester. The defendant can withdraw his plea if Judge Pipe decides it is not appropriate.

The prosecutor stated that their evidence would’ve proved the guilt of Lester and Hardy beyond a reasonable doubt. They said that Lester pulled the victim from the vehicle while Hardy robbed the person and the pair then stole the vehicle.

Judge Pipe ordered a Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA) Study for Hardy pending sentencing which gives the court more flexibility when imposing her sentence. A pre-sentence investigation report was ordered for Lester.

Parties are slated to reconvene on Nov. 14 for sentencing.

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