Document: Arrests Made in Robbery Offenses

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has arrested suspects in connection to recent robberies

At around 1:11am on Oct. 31, the suspect approached the victim on the 2000 block of Georgia Avenue, NW and then assaulted them. After taking their property, the suspect then fled the scene.

A 20 year-old male was arrested for the robbery offense.

On Nov. 1, a juvenile male approached the victim at around 2:13 p.m. on the 1200 block of North Capital Street, NW and stole their money. The MPD arrested the 16-year-old juvenile and charged him with robbery.

On Nov. 2, a 29 year-old, was arrested via an arrest warrant for a Sept. 28 robbery offense.

At around 4:40 p.m., the suspects brandished a gun at the victim and demanded their money. The suspects then fled the 2400 block of Minnesota Avenue, SE.

This case remains under investigation by the MPD.

On Nov. 4, the suspects approached the victim on the 900 block of L’Enfant Plaza, SW at 12:46 p.m. and one brandished a knife. They then stole the victim’s property.

A22 year-old has been arrested and charged with armed robbery. The other suspect is still at large and the MPD is continuing to investigate.

Anyone who has any information can contact the police at (202) 727-9099 or text the tip line at 50411.

Crime Alerts: November 8-9

Between 9 p.m. on Nov. 8 and 10 a.m. on Nov. 9, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out seven crime alerts.

The most recent alert was sent at 9:44 a.m. for a shooting on the 1400 block of Irving Street, NW. Police are looking for a Black male wearing a black jacket and black pants. He was last seen running toward the 2900 block of 14th Street, NW.

Another alert for a shooting was sent at 9:20 a.m. on the 1400 block of Howard Road, SE. Police are looking for a Black male, wearing blue jeans, a jean jacket, brown shoes and eye glasses.

An alert at 2:02 a.m. was for a robbery with a gun on the 600 block of 57th Street, NE. Police are looking for two Black males, between 30 and 35 years of age, wearing black masks. They were last seen in a grey Honda sedan with temporary tags.

Another alert for a robbery was sent at 12:55 a.m. on the 3700 block of Hayes Street, NE. Police are looking for a Black male wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and a face mask. They are also looking for four additional Black males and a Black female who were last seen in a red Toyota Rav 4 bearing Maryland plates.

An alert was sent at 9:42 p.m. for a confirmed stabbing at the intersection of 14th and N Streets, NW. Police are looking for a 40 year-old Black male wearing a dark grey shirt and dark jeans.

An alert was sent at 9:23 p.m. for a shooting investigation on the 5400 block of Georgia Avenue, NW. Police are looking for a dark colored SUV.

The final alert was sent at 9:05 p.m. for a robbery investigation on the 2900 block of Nash Place, SE. Police are looking for a Black female wearing glasses and a Black male wearing a black hoodie and black pants.

Judge Hold 7 Defendants During Initial Hearings

On Nov. 6, DC Superior Court Judge Heide Herrmann held seven defendants and released 13 during initial hearings.

Mekhi Truesdale, is charged with armed robbery and armed kidnapping. The offense took place on the 800 block of Longfellow Street, NW. According to court documents, the victim was looking down at their phone when they were allegedly approached by Truesdale in a vehicle.

Truesdale, 18, allegedly brandished a gun and ordered the victim to get into the car. The victim complied fearing for his safety.

After entering the vehicle, Truesdale demanded the victim’s property before allowing them to escape. Truesdale was ordered detained by Judge Herrmann given the seriousness of the allegations, and his next hearing is set on Nov. 25.

Judge Herrmann also held Ronald Fisher who is charged with robbery.

The offense occurred on Nov 6. on the 2600 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE. According to court documents, Fisher, 41 allegedly approached the victim, grabbed them by the neck and pushed them up against a wall.

Fisher allegedly demanded that the victim hand over everything that they had.

“Given the nature and circumstances of his offense, I will hold him and issue a stay away order” Judge Herrmann said. Fisher’s next hearing is set for Nov. 24. Fisher was also brought before the court in a misdemeanor case for second-degree theft, but Judge Herrmann released him on that case.

Aaron Talley is charged with assaulting a police officer and possession of a controlled substance. Talley, 26, allegedly assaulted a police officer during First Amendment demonstrations on June 24.

On Nov. 5, Talley was arrested for allegedly possessing a quantity of fentanyl, a controlled substance. Due to a prior conviction in which Talley assaulted another police officer, Judge Herrmann decided to hold him. Talley’s next hearing will take place on Nov. 24.

Sharon Simpson was brought in on a bench warrant for failing to appear at her hearing in DC. Simpson is charged with being a fugitive from justice, where she is wanted in Virginia for probation violation. Given her failure to turn herself in to Virginia and her failure to appear in court in DC, Judge Herrmann held her at the DC Jail.

Two fugitives from justice are both juveniles and are wanted for homicide in the state of Maryland. Given the serious allegations, Judge Herrmann said she was not inclined to release them.

They waived their right to an extradition hearing and will be held under the supervision of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS)for three days while they wait for the demanding jurisdiction to pick them up and transfer them to Maryland.

One final defendant, Troy Richardson, was brought before the court for failing to charge his GPS monitoring device. Richardson, 50, was released on his new case but held in jail to deal with a parole warrant.

Among those released was a 34-year-old male charged with first-degree child sexual abuse. The prosecution requested that he be placed into the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP). Judge Herrmann granted the request and set the defendant’s next hearing for April 9.

Judge Herrmann released four defendants on misdemeanor charges under various conditions including contacting the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA), stay-away orders. One of the defendants is also charged with fugitivity and was ordered to turn himself in to Virginia authorities immediately. The defendants were ordered to appear back in court on April 9.

Two defendants brought in on bench warrants for failing to appear at their hearings were released on the condition that they return to court. New hearing dates were set for both defendants on April 9 of next year.

Five defendants with domestic violence-related charges were released. All five of the defendants were issued stay away orders from the victims and ordered to report to PSA. One of the defendants was also ordered to wear a GPS monitoring device.

One defendant charged with being a fugitive from Virginia was released. He was ordered to turn himself in to the demanding jurisdiction as soon as possible.

Two final defendants, one charged with fugitivity and one charged with simple assault, were both still in the hospital, so their hearings were moved to Nov. 7.

Emily Pengelly wrote this article.

Judge Schedules Another Hearing for Convicted Murder Defendant

A DC Superior Court Judge scheduled a post disposition status hearing for a defendant who was convicted of murder in 2015.

Erik Postell, 32, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for fatally shooting 24 year-old Paul Danzo Tanoh outside a nightclub on March 21, 2013. The jury found him guilty of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction and carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business.

Postell, 32, is currently in the process of appealing his case.

During the Nov. 6 hearing, Judge Lynn Leibovitz checked in with the prosecution and the defense to see how they wanted to proceed with the case. The prosecution had not completed their cross-examination of the defense’s witnesses in the last evidentiary hearing.

After establishing the status of the witnesses, defense attorney David Benowitz requested another status hearing to give himself more time to prepare for continuing the evidentiary hearing.

Judge Leibovitz scheduled it for Jan. 8.

This is Postell’s second murder in the District of Columbia. As a juvenile, he shot 16-year-old bystander Devin Fowlkes, during a gang shoot-out outside Anacostia High School on Oct. 30, 2003. He was tried as a juvenile for the offense.

Sierra Robbins wrote this article.

Judge Finds Probable Cause for Homicide

On Nov. 6, a DC Superior Court judge determined there was enough evidence for a homicide case to go to trial.

Stanley Brown, 28, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Jimmy Beynum, who was fatally shoot Jan. 23 on the 1600 block of F Street, NE. Beynum succumbed to his injuries on Jan. 29. He was 36.

Brown was on pretrial release in two misdemeanor cases and probation in a felony case when Beynum was killed.

The prosecution questioned its witness, who is a detective with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) on several exhibits, including video footage of the shooting from a house on the street where the offense occurred.

The detective verified that Brown was the individual pictured in the video footage due to his unique gait, the way his hand rested in his pocket and his distinctive green jacket. Additional evidence supporting his claim was location data from a GPS monitoring device that placed the defendant at the scene of the crime.

The detective who testified was not the primary author of the Gerstein affidavit.

Brown’s defense attorney, Mani Golzari, raised doubt about the detective’s knowledge of the case and his credibility, probing into a disciplinary measure taken against him over an insensitive social media post. According to Golzari, the post could be perceived as racist against a minority group.

Judge Todd Edelman ruled that although the detective relied heavily on the information written in the Gernstein for his testimony, it was adequate enough to be deemed credible. The judge also determined that the combination of the video footage along with the GPS data was sufficient for a probable cause ruling.

He decided to hold Brown in the DC jail pending trial

The judge said the nature of the offense was serious, specifically the fact that it was a day time shooting that resulted in a homicide. He also cited Brown’s extensive criminal history that demonstrates an escalation in the violent nature of conduct.

Brown is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 19 for a felony status conference.

This article was written by Yasmeen McGettrick.

Document: Suspect Apprehended in Connection with Voyeurism Offense

Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested a suspect in reference to a voyeurism offense that occurred last month.

The 34-year-old suspect was arrested on Nov. 6, and charged with disorderly conduct and voyeurism, thanks to information given from members of the community.

According to the press release, at approximately 11:45 p.m. on Oct. 7, the suspect recorded images and videos through a resident’s window in the 1700 Block of Willard Street, NW.

Judge Issues Two Bench Warrants, Continues 5 Show Cause Hearings

A DC Superior Court judge issued two bench warrants, continued five hearings and sentenced a defendant during pretrial and probation show cause hearings on Nov. 5.

Judge Gerald Fisher issued a bench warrant for Karl Woods after he failed to appear to court..

The 56-year-old is charged with attempted threats to do bodily harm and simple assault. He was released with the conditions to report to and verify his address with the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA). On Sept. 24, a notice of non compliance with pretrial release conditions was filed.

The PSA has deemed him a loss of contact.

The other bench warrant was issued for Kendrick Phillips, who was also a no show in court and a loss of contact with PSA.

Phillips, 28, is charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and fleeing a law enforcement officer in two separate cases, respectively.

He was released into the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) for the possession case. In the other case, he was only required to report to the PSA.

According to a PSA representative, he has failed to charge his GPS monitor on a number of occasions and has gotten several curfew violations.

Judge Fisher continued a probation show cause hearing for Kennie Gray.

Gray, 24, pleaded guilty on March 25, 2019, to a bail violation and was given one year supervised probation. A bench warrant was issued on Aug. 31 for his failure to appear at a show cause hearing and for his lack of compliance with probation conditions.

He is currently being held in DC jail for another matter, which was why he was not in court today.

Gray’s next show cause hearing is scheduled for Dec. 22.

The judge also continued a probation show cause hearing for Mark Cobrand, and he dismissed a June 30 probation violation report.

Cobrand pleaded guilty to robbery and carrying a dangerous weapon outside home or business in violation. He also has a history of receiving bench warrants and notices of noncompliance.

According to CSOSA, he has been doing increasingly better with reporting. His next hearing is scheduled for March 8, and will trail the defendant’s pending matters.

A probation show cause hearing was continued for Jan. 11, 2021, to see if the defendant will come into compliance with his probation conditions.

Jesse Goodwin, 24, pleaded guilty to simple assault in December 2019 and was given one year supervised probation.

He has had several notices of noncompliance filed against him.

Judge Fisher said if Goodwin does not improve his compliance by the next hearing, he will revoke his probation.

The judge continued a pretrial show cause hearing for a 37-year-old defendant charged in three cases.

Darryl Mathews is charged with a bail violation in one case and unlawful entry onto private property in his second and third case.

He had previously not been reporting to PSA.

However, a PSA officer said that as of late he has been in compliance.

Judge Fisher ordered Mathews to verify his address with PSA in person today. The next hearing is set for March 8, 2021.

A post disposition probation show cause hearing was continued to monitor George Odemn’s progress with the conditions of his probation.

Odemns pleaded guilty to destruction of property $1,000 or more and unlawful entry onto private property on May 1, 2019.

He was given two years supervised probation with the condition to also maintain mental health counseling and treatment.

Odemns had not been seeking mental health treatment. A representative from CSOSA said that Odemns has come into compliance with reporting and with mental health treatment.

The next hearing is set for Jan. 11, 2021.

Judge Fisher signed off on Kimberly Jennings’ global plea deal and sentenced her to time served and requiring her to pay $50 to the Victims of Violent Crime Compensation fund.

Jennings, 37, pleaded guilty to second-degree theft and simple assault.

Per the plea, the charges of attempted threats to do bodily harm in one case and destruction of property less than $1,000 and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon in another were dismissed.

The judge decided not to set a new hearing date for Lance Applewhite, due to his compliance with his conditions of probation.

Applewhite was found guilty by jury trial for robbery on March 25, 2015, and was given 52 months supervised probation.

On Aug. 19, a probation show cause hearing was continued for 90 days to monitor his compliance in a drug treatment program.

The show cause hearing for Alonzo Draper was vacated and the prosecution was given bench warrant rights.

Draper, 27, is charged with possession of a controlled substance.

A bench warrant was issued on Jan. 3 and a notice of noncompliance was filed on Oct. 6. A PSA official said the defendant has regained compliance as of his last checkin, which was on Nov. 2.

This article was written by Yasmeen McGettrick.

Judge Continues Hearing for Three Murder Defendants

A DC Superior Court judge continued a murder hearing for three murder defendants.

The co-defendants: Lejeezan Toudle,36; Elton Wiggins, 54; and Devon Stephens, 34, are charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of Euegene Isaac Jr., who was fatally shot Feb. 15 on the 100 block of N Street, NW.

During the Nov. 6 hearing, parties agreed on a date to continue a hearing in order to schedule a jury trial.

Judge Danya Dayson scheduled that date for June 3, 2021.

Toudle’s attorneys, Terrence Austin and Jason Tulley, also asked for a hearing to reconsider detention for their client.

Judge Dayson scheduled the hearing for Jan. 11.

The defendants are currently being held at DC Jail.

Judge Dismisses Murder Case After Not Finding Probable Cause

A murder defendant’s case was dismissed after a DC Superior Court judge ruled that the prosecution did not have enough evidence to go to trial.

Jonathan Jenkins, 29, was charged with second-degree murder while armed in the death of 25-year-old Richard Mitchell, who was fatally shot May 31 on the 2500 block of Elvans Road, SE.

“What I’ve been wrestling with is that I’ve had all these weak cases where I was able to find probable cause,” said Judge Todd Edelman. “But I can’t reach that conclusion based on this evidence.”

Most of the prosecution’s evidence was based on a primary witness who was heavily intoxicated at the time of the crime, has severe mental health issues and is currently on probation with a pending misdemeanor case.

According to court documents, the witness said she personally does not like Jenkins and repeatedly asked for the reward for giving information to the Metropolitan Police Department.

“The credibility issues of the witness are substantial, and she gives a story that is significantly problematic,” said Judge Edelman.

Another major issue included the witness’s conflicting accounts about the events leading to the homicide and if the victim was carrying a firearm on the day of his death.

MPD officers recovered live ammunition from the crime scene. They also found a spring belonging to a gun in Mitchell’s waistband. But, officers were not able to recover a firearm from him.

“The only evidence the government has is Witness 6,” said Jenkins’ defense attorney, Madalyn Harvey . “And Witness 6 is seriously problematic.”

Harvey asked the detective about the possibility of a different suspect who could be responsible for the homicide, due to additional evidence that does not match the narrative that Jenkins was the perpetrator.

During a bench conference, Harvey turned over information about a person whose phone was found at the scene of the crime. According to a MPD detective, the phone was never seriously pursued.

“While my client sat in jail, nothing has been done to investigate anyone else,” she said.

The detective said he did not know why MPD did not go beyond surveillance tapes to corroborate the witness’s story and why the phone was overlooked.

“We have the fact now that another individual has been identified,” said Judge Edelman. “The primary evidence comes from a witness who has a personal and interest bias.”

An order to release Jenkins from the DC Jail was filed on Nov. 5. The case against him was also dismissed.

Sierra Robbins wrote this article.

Document: Arrest made in Connection with Child Pornography Offense

Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested a suspect travelling to DC in connection with a child pornography offense.

With the assistance of Special Agents with the FBI, a 40-year-old suspect from Chesapeake, VA was arrested on Nov. 5, and charged with Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct and Distribution of Child Pornography.

The suspect allegedly sent child sexual abuse material via the internet between Oct. 26 and Nov. 5 before travelling to DC with the intent to have sexual contact with a child.

Judge Reschedules Defendant’s Sentencing

A DC Superior Court judge continued a Nov. 6 sentencing because the defense attorney was not present in court.

Dominic Copeland pleaded guilty to aggravated assault knowingly while armed in his first case and assault with a dangerous weapon in his second.

In the first case, the 30-year-old defendant was charged with assault with the intent to kill while armed, but he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

The courtroom clerk and staff inside Judge Craig Iscoe’s chambers contacted defense attorney Russell Hairston multiple times, but he could not be reached.

A new sentencing date will be scheduled after Hairston gets in contact with the court. In the meantime, Copeland will remain at the DC Jail.

Crime Alerts: November 5-6

Between 9 p.m. on Nov. 5 and 10 a.m. on Nov. 6, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out three crime alerts.

The most recent alert was sent at 2:26 a.m. for a robbery investigation on the 2700 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW. Police are looking for two Black males. Suspect one is between 20 and 30 years of age, 6’0″ in height with short dreads, 155 pounds, wearing a grey t-shirt and armed with a black handgun. He was last seen headed east on Culvert Street, NW in a gold SUV. There is no description of the second suspect.

Another alert for a robbery was sent at 1:03 a.m. on the 2600 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE. Police are looking for a Black male, 5’9″ in height with a medium complexion wearing a tan jacket, a dark hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and a blue mask.

The final alert was sent at 12:53 a.m. for a shooting investigation on the 4000 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE. Police are looking for a 5’8″ Black male with a red shirt, blue jeans and carrying a black bag. He was last seen on Minnesota Avenue.

Document: Victim of Park View Homicide Identified

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has identified the victim of a homicide that happened on Nov. 5 in the Park View neighborhood of DC as 36 year-old Jamaul Crockett, of no fixed address.

At around 4:16 a.m., officers responded to the 600 block of Lamont Street, Northwest for the report of an unconscious person. There, they found Crockett suffering from an apparent stab wound. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Murder Charges to be Dropped if Plea Deal Accepted

The prosecution agreed to drop seven felony charges as part of a plea deal on Nov. 5.

Bernard McKinney pleaded guilty to armed robbery. In return, the prosecution will drop all other charges against him, including a first-degree murder charge.

On June 12, 2018, McKinney was allegedly involved in an armed robbery where an unidentified man shot and killed Daymond Chicas, 24. The shooting occurred on the 300 block of 50th Street, NE.

In April of last year, the 19-year-old defendant was indicted on charges of first-degree murder while committing or attempting to commit a robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, robbery while armed, assault with intent to commit robbery and attempt to commit robbery while armed.

McKinney was the only one arrested in connection with the homicide.

The prosecution and defense agreed to recommend a sentence between five and six years, but did not agree whether McKinney should be sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA).

If McKinney were to be sentenced under the YRA, his record would effectively be sealed upon completion of court requirements.

The prosection is also seeking restitution of up to $230 from McKinney for the surviving victim’s stolen property.

However, Judge Neal Kravitz did not accept the plea deal today. Instead, he ordered a pre-sentence investigation to confirm the facts of the case.

Judge Kravitz will decide whether to allow the defendant to take a plea deal during the next hearing, which is scheduled for April 30.

Maria Marzullo wrote this article.

Judge Continues Case for Defendant Accused of Stabbing A Police Officer

A DC Superior Court judge continued a defendant’s assault case for a possible plea deal.

Robert Redding, 61, is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed and assault on a police officer while armed for allegedly stabbing a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer near the intersection of 11th and K Street, NW on July 2.

The officer was pursuing Redding after a woman told him that Redding assaulted her, according to court documents.

When the officer said he needed to speak with Redding, the defendant allegedly turned around and began attacking the officer with scissors. The officer had to get stitches.

During the Nov. 5 hearing, defense attorney Matthew Davies asked Judge Robert Okun to continue his client’s hearings. Judge Okun granted the request, scheduling Redding’s next hearing for Dec. 8.

In the meantime, Redding will remain at DC Jail, where he has been held since he was arrested on July 2.

Search