Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating a homicide that happened on Feb. 18.
At around 3:13 p.m., officers responded to the 1000 block of Thomas Jefferson Street, NW for the report of a shooting.
There, they found 30 year-old Youness Zarouaki suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Between 9:00 p.m. on Feb. 18 and 9:00 a.m. on Feb. 19, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out two crime alerts.
The most recent alert was sent at 5:08 a.m. for a carjacking on the 2000 block of Savannah Street, SE. Police are looking for a Black male wearing glasses and dark clothing.
The second alert was sent at 12:26 a.m. for a carjacking on the 1300 block of 14th Street, NW. Police are looking for three Black males in their 20s or 30s, wearing all black clothing. They were seen in a brown Nissan Murano with DC tags CX6016.
During initial hearings on Feb. 18, DC Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond held two murder defendants.
In total, the judge presided over 21 defendants, including three defendants who faced charges for domestic violence-related cases and two defendants who faced charges for homicide cases.
The two homicide defendants, Delonta Stevenson and Vorreze Thomas are both charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of 32 year-old Terrence Allen. The offense occurred on Jan. 18 in an apartment complex on the 3000 block of Stanton Road in Southeast, DC.
In addition to Allen, two other victims were also shot, though they sustained non-life threatening injuries.
Stevenson, 26, and Thomas, 23, allegedly cut Allen off in a vehicle and shot close to 50 rounds at Allen’s car.
According to the police report, Stevenson is alleged to have been in the passenger seat and is believed to be the individual who shot at Allen and the other victims.
Judge Raymond ordered that both defendants be held at the DC Jail pending their next hearing, which is scheduled for March 10.
Judge Raymond also held two domestic violence defendants, who were brought in on bench warrants for failing to appear at their hearings. Both defendants are on probation for simple assault. Their next hearings are scheduled for Feb. 23.
The judge also released another domestic violence defendant who is charged with simple assault. He was given a stay-away order, and his next hearing is scheduled for July 22.
A DC Superior Court judge agreed to lift a stay away order after hearing a victim’s impact statement.
The defendant is charged with simple assault in a misdemeanor domestic violence case. He was convicted of simple assault in another. He is also convicted of assault with significant bodily injury in a felony case that is not a domestic violence matter.
Due to court rules regarding domestic violence matters, D.C. Witness does not know which domestic violence case pertained to the victim who spoke during the Feb. 18 hearing. D.C. Witness does know that the speaker was a victim in at least one of the domestic violence cases.
During his statement to the judge, the victim said the defendant completed anger management classes. He also said that, without the defendant, he struggles with home upkeep and running errands and he misses the defendant’s companionship.
Though initially hesitant, Judge Neal Kravitiz decided that vacating the stay away order was more beneficial to the victim than the order itself.
He did, however, issue a No Harass, Assault, Threaten or Stalk (HATS) order. The defendant will also be allowed to live with the victim while under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP).
A hearing for the cases is scheduled for April 20.
Alaina Provenza wrote this article.
On Feb. 18, DC Superior Court Judge Jonathan Pittman presided over hearings for three murder cases.
Christian Arndt, 28, is accused of beating his 54-year-old father, Donald Arndt, to death with a bat on Jan. 28 on the 3000 block of Newark Street, NW. The defendant was apprehended by responding officers and is now charged with first-degree murder while armed.
Defense attorneys Philip Andonian and Joseph Caleb requested an earlier hearing date to review the findings of a mental competency exam.
However, Judge Pittman said the date that was set is the earliest available date, but an earlier date may exist if the defense chooses to waive Arndt’s presence in the hearing.
Parties decided to keep the date, March 10, and continue discussing changing dates with the case judge.
Darnell Rackett, 18, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Antonio Gardiner. Gardnier, who was 36 years-old, when he was found unconscious on the 1500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE on July 4, 2020. He suffered from multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
During the proceedings, defense attorney Betty Ballester requested a full competency evaluation for Rackett, with no objection from the prosecution.
Judge Pittman agreed to order the evaluation and scheduled the next hearing for March 30 to allow enough time for the evaluation report to be completed and examined by parties.
Terrance Oxner, 21, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting of 22-year-old Edward Wade on Jan. 25 on the 1400 block Good Hope Road, SE.
Defense attorney Madalyn Harvey asked Judge Pittman to schedule a preliminary hearing to determine if the case against her client has enough evidence to go to trial.
He scheduled one for April 6.
DC Superior Court Judge Jonathan Pittman continued a Feb. 18 hearing in a domestic violence case, so the defense can have more time to discuss a plea deal.
The defendant is charged with three felonies, including assault with a dangerous weapon, kidnapping, and threat to kidnap or injure a person.
Defense attorney Henry Escoto said he has recently received the plea from the prosecution, and asked for more time to talk about it with his client.
The next hearing is scheduled for March 9. In the meantime, the defendant will remain held at DC Jail.
DC Superior Court Judge Jonathan Pittman granted the defense’s request to continue a Feb. 18 hearing for a sex abuse case.
The defendant is charged with first-degree child sex abuse.
Defense attorney Matthew Davies requested the continuance, so he could discuss a plea offer with the defendant.
The next hearing is scheduled for March 16.
A prosecutor said he plans to extend a plea deal to a murder defendant.
Melvin Simmons, 27, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in two separate cases. He is charged for allegedly shooting William Roland on Aug. 17, 2019, on the 1500 block of 18th Street, SE, and Ronald Jerome Brown, Jr. on Aug. 22, 2019, 3400 block of 18th Street, SE.
Simmons was recently appointed a new attorney, Matthew Davies. Davies agreed to consider the prosecution’s plea offer once he reviewed discovery and met with his client.
DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo schedulednthe next hearing for April 29.
A DC Superior Court judge ordered a competency exam for a defendant on probation for misdemeanor sex abuse of a child or minor.
Defendant Phillip Drumgoole, 32, was convicted in January 2019. He has since reportedly been non-compliant with the conditions of his probation. In January 2020, a judge ordered a full competency exam. The defendant was eventually detained at DC Jail after a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
During the Feb. 17 hearing, Defense attorney Marnitta King asked Judge Jonathan Pittman to give her client one more chance to complete his mental observation exam in an outpatient setting.
King said she was concerned that the lack of psychiatric care beyond medication in the DC jail would be detrimental to her client. She also asked Judge Pittman to transfer Drumgoole to Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC’s psychiatric institution, for an inpatient evaluation and treatment if he was unwilling to take the outpatient route.
The prosecution said Drumgoole’s numerous bench warrants and probation violations, should not be evaluated in an outpatient setting.
The prosecutor said Drumgoole has demonstrated irresponsible behavior regarding the court case, with violations including failure to register as a sex offender and violating stay-away orders. However, the prosecutor was not opposed to transferring Drumgoole to an inpatient hospital.
Judge Pittman decided that Drumgoole should remain in jail for the exam, declining to send Drumgoole to Saint Elizabeth’s at this time.
Judge Pittman said the evaluator should make that decision after the exam is completed if inpatient mental health care is necessary.
A mental observation hearing is scheduled for March 23.
Alaina Provenza wrote this article.
On Feb. 17, DC Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond presided over four domestic violence cases during initial hearings.
Of these four cases, Judge Raymond held one of the defendants, releasing the rest.
The defendant the judge chose to hold is charged with simple assault. The defendant, a 33-year-old male, is also on pretrial release on a GPS monitoring device tampering charge, which he picked up in January of 2020.
The defendant will be held at the jail pending his next hearing, which is scheduled for March 9.
The three other defendants are charged with simple assault, unlawful entry onto private property, destruction of property and attempted threats to do bodily harm.
All three of those defendants were released with orders to stay away from the alleged victims, locations of the incidents or both. They were also ordered to report back to court on July 21.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested suspects in connection with two homicides: one from last month and one from 2018.
The earlier one happened on the afternoon of March 17, 2018. At around 1:44 p.m. that day, officers responded to the 3000 block of Stanton Road, SE for the report of a shooting. There, they found 22 year-old Matthew Thomas suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
Delonta Stevenson, 26, has been charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with Thomas’ death.
At around 11:10 on Jan. 18 of this year, officers responded to the same block for the sound of gunshots.
There, they found three men suffering from gunshot wounds.
Two of them were treated for non-life threatening injuries. The third victim, 32 year-old Terrence Allen, died from his injuries.
One of the victims was allegedly found to be in possession of a firearm. He was arrested for carrying a pistol without a license.
On Feb. 17, Stevenson and 23 year-old Vorreze Thomas were arrested for first-degree murder while armed and assault with intent to kill in connection with this incident.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out three crime alerts between 9:00 p.m. on Feb. 17 and 9:00 a.m. on Feb. 18.
The most recent alert was sent at 1:58 a.m. for a shooting on the 700 block of Chesapeake Street, SE. Police do not have a description of the suspect(s).
An alert for a robbery investigation was sent at 12:56 a.m. on the 100 block of Emerson Street, NW. Police are looking for two Hispanic males wearing all black. The first suspect is believed to be armed with a knife, and the second suspect is believed to be armed with a handgun.
The final alert was sent at 9:16 p.m. for a robbery investigation on the 200 block of M Street, SE. Police are looking for two Black males, approximately 5’8″ in height, wearing dark colored jackets and black face masks. One of the suspects was also wearing a gray hoodie.
A DC Superior Court judge found that a domestic violence defendant was being compliant with his release conditions and continued the Feb. 17 status hearing to September.
The defendant was charged with attempted threats to do bodily harm, simple assault, condition of release violation and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon on Jan. 25. At that time, a judge decided to hold him.
Less than two weeks later, the defendant was released from DC Jail into the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP).
Judge Maribeth Raffinan scheduled the next status hearing for Sept. 24.
On Feb. 17, a DC Superior Court judge denied a request to release a murder defendant.
Quincy Johnson, 17, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Anthony Riley on the 100 block of Walnut Street, NW. Johnson is being charged as an adult.
Johnson has been held at the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) since he picked up the charge on Aug. 21, 2020.
Judge Robert Okun scheduled the next bond review hearing for March 15.
Sarah Gebrengus wrote this article.
A DC Superior Court judge lifted the home confinement order for a sex abuse defendant.
The defendant is charged with felony first-degree child sexual abuse in a domestic violence case that is currently pending indictment.
Defense attorney Roderick Thompson said his client is having trouble securing housing since his apartment is occupied by his partner, who has children, and he is ordered to stay away from children.
Thompson said the lack of stable housing, frequent need to check in with the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) before traveling to appointments and limited funds make it hard for the defendant to function under the home confinement regulations.
He said the defendant has a medical condition that requires him to go to routine appointments.
Thompson asked Judge Juliet Mckenna to reduce his client’s pretrial release conditions to GPS monitoring only.
Despite opposition from the prosecution, Judge McKenna granted the request. She emphasized that the orders to stay away from all minors and the victim are still in place.
Judge McKenna said she granted the request because of the defendant’s limited criminal history and his record of diligently abiding by the requirements of the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP).
