Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives have arrested a suspect in connection with a traffic fatality involving a single pedestrian and vehicle on June 13.
At about 3:14 a.m. a Honda Civic hit a pedestrian on the sidewalk. The identity of the victim is being withed until the next of kin is notified.
Police arrested 29-year-old Gerald Lewis and charged him with second-degree murder, driving under the influence and reckless driving.
Tory Lysik wrote this article.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred in the afternoon on June 11.
At approximately 1:09 p.m. police responded to the 1600 block of Franklin Street, NE due to reports of gunshots. Police found 30-year-old Isaac Aull Jr. and pronounced him dead from gunshot-related injuries.
Tory Lysik wrote this article.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on June 11.
At about 1:39 p.m. police responded to the 4600 block of Hillside Road, SE due to reports of gunshots. Upon arrival, police found two adult males with gunshot wounds. One was treated for non-life-threatening injuries while the other, 28-year-old Delonte Johnson, was pronounced dead.
Tory Lysik wrote this article.
The Metropolitan Police Department sent out one crime alert between 7:00 p.m. on June 13 and 9:00 a.m. on June 14.
The alert was sent at 7:10 p.m. for a stabbing investigation on the 600 block of Kenilworth Terrace, NE.
Police do not have a description of the suspect(s).
On June 11, DC Superior Court Judge Shelly Mulkey held five of eight domestic violence defendants during initial hearings.
There were 20 total defendants presented before the court.
A defendant who has been in the hospital over the last few days is charged with simple assault and contempt. Defense counsel requested the judge to not find probable cause because she spoke to the complaining witness prior to the hearing, who recanted everything she said to the police.
In fact, she even allegedly admitted to stabbing the defendant in May, which is why the defendant has recently been in the hospital. She was reportedly arrested for the incident, but the defendant declined to press charges.
In the case against the defendant, he allegedly punched her in the face, broke her glasses and bit her, but the victim now says that he did none of those things. In fact, she said the bite mark is a very old wound from her small child.
Judge Mulkey did find probable cause, however, and decided to hold the defendant because he has three additional pending cases against him that involve the same complaining witness.
A defendant charged with simple assault, destruction of property and obstruction of justice was also held. They were also brought in on a bench warrant for failing to appear at their probation hearing in another domestic violence case.
Judge Mulkey said she thinks the defendant may flee given his history of bench warrants and a violation of the Bail Reform Act (BRA) conviction from 2019, so he chose to hold him at the jail.
A defendant charged with attempted threats to do bodily harm and contempt was also held. The defendant has a pending case involving the same complaining witness, and allegedly said, “If I get arrested, once I get out, I’m gonna kill you all.” In his new case, he also allegedly threatened to kill the complainant and violated a stay-away order. Given these circumstances, the judge decided to hold him pending his next hearing.
Finally, Judge Mulkey held two defendants who were brought in on bench warrants for failing to appear at their hearings. Both defendants were allegedly out of compliance with release conditions, so the judge held them to be seen by the presiding judges.
The three defendants released have charges of simple assault, destruction of property and second-degree cruelty to children. Two of the defendants were given stay-away orders, and the final one was ordered not to harass, assault, threaten or stalk (HATS) a child and to not physically discipline any children at all.
The released defendants will return to court in December while the held defendants will be returning to court in June.
After hearing arguments on a defense motion to suppress evidence obtained during an investigation into a 2016 homicide, a DC Superior Court judge decided he would wait to make a ruling.
Clinton Womack, 31, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 45-year-old Terry Crutchfield on the 1500 block of Olive Street, NE, on Dec. 6, 2016.
Defense attorney Steven Kiersch is arguing that a search of Womack’s phone violated his Fourth Amendment rights.
A little over three weeks after the homicide, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives executed a search warrant on a 1993 burgundy Lexus as part of their investigation, according to court documents. Detectives found an automatic handgun, an extended magazine and Womack’s phone in the car. Detectives then got another warrant to search the phone and, according to parties, found internet searches that the prosecution now wants to use against Womack.
Kiersch filed the motion to suppress the evidence found on the phone in April.
In it, he states that “the warrant to search the digital contents of the cellphone was far too overbroad, was lacking in specificity and failed to establish in any manner the specific information that was being sought.”
However, during the June 11 hearing, the prosecution compared a phone to a personal journal, arguing that, if the government wants to search a journal, the warrant does not need to be as specific in what it is trying to find.
Judge Milton Lee did not make a decision on the motion but said he will rule on it and give his ruling to parties as soon as possible.
Womack has been held at DC Jail since December 2016. They were scheduled to go to trial once in 2018, twice in 2019 and once again in 2020, D.C. Witness previously reported. He is currently scheduled to go before a jury in 2023.
Womack is also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, first-degree armed burglary, attempted armed robbery, armed robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction in this case.
Womack’s next hearing is scheduled for June 22.
Tory Lysik wrote this article.
DC Superior Court Judge Sean Staples held a sexual abuse defendant and three out of seven domestic violence defendants at presentments on June 10. Thirty-five defendants were presented in total.
One domestic violence defendant was held without bond for attempted second-degree cruelty to children. The judge called the nature of the case “quite disturbing” and cited the specifics of the case as reasoning for the hold. The court also cited the defendant having other open domestic abuse cases currently open.
A domestic violence defendant was held due to previous case records. The current victim is the same victim as a pending case, raising concern that they may violate stay-away orders of release.
The defendant is accused of texting the victim, “Hi boo, you looked good coming out on your balcony,” along with the simple assault and contempt charges for allegedly violating a current stay-away order. The defendant had also allegedly strangled the victim in a previous case, according to Judge Staples.
Another domestic violence defendant was held because he has three convictions all involving the same complaining witness. In his new case, he is charged with second-degree theft, destruction of property and contempt for allegedly violating his stay-away order.
These held defendants are scheduled to appear in court on June 29.
The final defendant held was brought in on a bench warrant for failing to appear at his hearing in a pending case for which he is charged with first-degree child sex abuse. He is also being charged with felony contempt in a new case. Judge Staples said he believes the defendant to be a risk of flight, so he will be held until his next hearing, scheduled for July 9.
A domestic violence defendant was released due to COVID-19 related conditions. The defendant has a prior domestic violence case with the same person, and is charged with violating a Temporary Protection Order (TPO) and contempt. He was given a stay-away order which mirrors his current order in the pending case.
One of the last defendants of the day appeared over the phone due to wheelchair issues. They are charged with attempted threats, attempted possession of a prohibited weapon and simple assault. The defendant was given a stay-away order.
The final released defendant is charged with simple assault and was given a stay-away order from the complaining witness and location of the alleged incident.
The released defendants are scheduled to return to court in December.
One domestic violence defendant is in the hospital and will appear in presentments once released.
The defense attorney in a murder case asked a DC Superior Court judge to hold off on scheduling trial dates so he can have more time to prepare a defense and discuss a potential plea deal with his client.
Kavonte Richardson is charged with felony murder while armed while committing or attempting to commit robbery in connection with the stabbing of 26-year-old Matthew Scott Rooker on the 600 block of 7th Street, NW, on May 23, 2018. The 26-year-old defendant is also charged with armed robbery and carrying a dangerous weapon in his case.
During the June 11 hearing, defense attorney Mani Golzari said he does not know if his client will take the plea deal the prosecution offered him. If Kavonte does not take the plea deal, Golzari said he will need more time to prepare a defense.
Judge Juliet McKenna scheduled a status hearing for July 16.
AsiaDee Williams wrote this article.
A suspect was apprehended in connection to a homicide that took place on May 11.
At about 3:51 a.m., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to the 1500 block of Maryland Avenue, NE, due to reports of an unconscious person. Detectives found 43-year-old Kareem Elliot Watkins and pronounced him dead on scene.
Byron Books, 35, has been apprehended in Georgia and is awaiting extradition.
Tory Lysik wrote this article.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) did not send out any crime alerts between 9:00 p.m. on June 10 and 9:00 a.m. on June 11.
The last alert sent was at 4:41 p.m. on June 10 for a shooting investigation on the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE. Police do not have a description of the suspect(s).
A DC Superior Court judge ordered a preliminary screening to determine if a sex abuse and burglary defendant is competent to stand trial.
The 42-year-old defendant is charged with first-degree burglary and attempted second-degree sex abuse. He is accused of breaking into a woman’s home in Northwest, DC. The woman alleges that, on May 21, she woke up to him standing next to her bed with his genitals exposed.
During the June 10 hearing, Judge Jonathan Pittman granted defense attorney Ferguson Evans’ request for a 24-hour screening to determine his client’s competency, scheduling it to take place later this month at the DC Jail, where the defendant is currently being held.
Judge Pittman scheduled a mental observation hearing for July 15.
Will Lawrence wrote this article.
Following several hours of testimony, a prosecutor decided to dismiss a domestic violence case.
The 36-year-old defendant was accused of suffocating and choking his ex-girlfriend until she was unconscious in an apartment complex in Northwest, DC, on May 8.
He was charged with assault with significant bodily injury during his initial hearing two days later and held at DC Jail. At the start of the June 10 preliminary hearing, which was held to determine if the case has enough evidence to go to trial, the prosecutor amended the charge to assault with intent to kill.
The prosecutor said she’d be dropping the charge and not pursuing any other charges in the case when parties reconvened after a one-hour break. She did not specify why she made this decision.
During cross-examination, a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective on the case told defense attorney Kevin Robertson that the case’s victim has previously pleaded guilty to making a false report to a police officer.
The MPD officer who responded to the scene testified that the victim made conflicting statements to him. He said the victim told him she had not gone unconscious, nor had she been hurt. But shortly after, she said she had in fact gone unconscious. The officer said he saw her with bruises and a bloody nose, but she turned down medical attention.
During direct examination, the detective told the prosecutor that the defendant has previously been charged with stalking and Civil Protection Order (CPO) violation.
The defendant picked up that case, a misdemeanor which is still open, on the same day he picked up the case that was dismissed today. A DC Superior Court judge initially imposed a $100 bond in the misdemeanor case, which has now been removed.
Judge Shelly Mulkey released the defendant from DC Jail. He is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 15 for a status hearing in his misdemeanor case.
Mara Osterburg and Carlin Fisher wrote this article.
A DC Superior Court judge ordered another examination to determine if a homicide defendant is competent to stand trial after the results of his first examination were inconclusive.
Derrick Kearney, 26, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 26-year old Devonte Speight on April 29, 2020, on the 1800 block of Maryland Avenue, NE.
His 25-year-old co-defendant, Daquan Anglin, is also charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with Speight’s death. Two juveniles were also arrested.
During the June 10 hearing, Judge Neal Kravitz said that a full examination conducted at DC Jail was unable to determine if Kearney is competent to stand trial, but did state that he does not meet the criteria to be admitted to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.
“It’s an unusual report,” said Judge Kravitz, “I don’t know that I’ve seen one like it.”
Judge Kravitz ordered another evaluation as well as additional competency restoration treatment to be done from the jail.
Kearney’s next hearing is scheduled for July 15.
Will Lawrence wrote this article.
A DC Superior Court judge continued a June 10 mental observation hearing for a homicide case after the defense attorneys said they wish to challenge the Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) report on their client’s competence to stand trial.
Christian Arndt is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly beating his 54-year-old father, Donald Arndt, to death with a bat on Jan. 28, on the 3300 block of Newark Street, NW. The 28-year-old defendant is currently being held at DC Jail.
A recent DBH report stated that Arndt is competent to stand trial.
During the June 10 hearing, defense attorney Phil Andonian objected to the DBH’s conclusion. Andonian said he was unable to read the report, but spoke directly with the doctor and said he has “serious concerns” about her findings.
Andonian requested 60 days to read the report and retain an independent expert to evaluate his client. Judge Neal Kravitz scheduled parties to reconvene on Aug. 12.
Lizzie Brennan wrote this article.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on March 23.
At approximately 8:50 p.m., police responded to the 1500 block of Ogden Street, NW due to reports of an unconscious person, according to a press release. Police found 38-year-old Ramon Gomez-Yanez on the sidewalk and pronounced him dead. After an autopsy, the cause of death was ruled to be blunt force trauma.
Tory Lysik wrote this article
