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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan delayed a homicide trial, which was slated to begin on Nov. 18, by a year due to the defendant’s recently discovered hyperthyroid condition during a Sept. 3 hearing.
The disease causes the thyroid gland to be overactive releasing too much of the hormone thiroxine possibly resulting in mood swings, nervousness or panic attacks.
John Woods, 71, is charged with first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during crime of violence for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 60-year-old Geno Freeman on the 6000 block of Chillum Place, NE, on Feb 19, 2021. Freeman died from a gunshot wound to his head.
During the hearing, Kevin Mosley, Woods’ attorney, alerted the court of his plan to invoke an insanity plea arguing the defendant was not criminally responsible for his actions because mental illness prevented him from knowing right from wrong or controlling his behavior.
On Aug. 12, the defense filed an expert notice revealing that Woods had a hyperthyroid condition, causing a hormonal imbalance with potential mental side effects, including anxiety and irritability. Due to the diagnosis, Mosley plans to add the hyperthyroid conditiona a justification for their insanity defense.
“They gave us a theory that we had no way of knowing they would have,” said the prosecution. “This is a completely new argument that the [prosecution] was not aware of.”
The prosecution asked the court to consider a continuation of the trial, which would move it from Nov. 18, 2025 to Nov. 9, 2026, and asked for an extension for the prosecution to file for an additional expert witness notice.
The prosecutor told Judge Ryan that their expert isn’t going to be able to address the thyroid issue because he is a psychologist not an endocrinologist capable of explaining how gland system affects behavior. According to the prosecution, the expert will need ten-to-12 weeks to review the new documents.
She argued that because the prosecution was notified on Aug. 12 of the defense’s new expert, the defense did not give them ample time to prepare for trial.
“The defense had the burden to give the [prosecution] an expert witness early,” said the prosecutor.
The judge addressed the comment with a short response.
“I don’t know about that,” said Judge Ryan. “The defense doesn’t have that burden.”
Mosley argued that the prosecution’s expert is requesting an exorbitant amount of time for the analysis.
“The lionshare of the records is 740 pages,” said Mosley. “Our expert took three weeks. There is no need for the amount of time that the prosecution requested. We are asking for the witness to have a reasonable amount of time. One year is not reasonable.”
The prosecution responded experts cannot be hired in September and October due to recent budget cuts, which was acknowledged by the defense.
“The 10-to-12 weeks isn’t something just made up,” said the prosecutor. “The defendant must be interviewed. It’s not just about reviewing documents.”
Parties are slated to reconvene Dec. 1.
DC Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean granted a motion that would allow the defense to question the victim in a shooting case about a past violent crime conviction in a hearing on Sept. 11.
Larry Carr, 21, is charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, five counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence or dangerous offense, assault with the intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault while armed, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, carrying a pistol without a license outside of a home or business, and possession of an unregistered firearm for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting on the 100 block Ridge Road, SE, on Oct. 22, 2023.
According to witnesses, the shooting occurred after an argument that ended with the victim holding a knife and the defendant shooting the victim.
The first motion proposed by the defense was to clip the beginning of a 911 call made during the incident. Defense Attorney Teresa Kleiman argued that the first 19 seconds of the call contained the caller crying audibly, which would prejudice the jury against the defendant without advancing the case.
The prosecution said the call was not “unduly prejudicial” and that the distress was necessary to provide the emotional context of the incident and the impact it had on those present.
Judge McLean granted the defense’s motion, agreeing about the impact of the caller’s emotional outburst.
The other two motions addressed what questions the defense could ask during cross-examination of the victim. Specifically, the defense claimed the victim was convicted of a simple assault and filed a motion to question the victim about it, arguing that the information would help explain the defendant’s state of mind during the shooting.
The prosecution said that any elicited testimony would be irrelevant and prejudicial, and filed a motion to preclude certain cross-examination questions of the victim.
Judge McLean granted the defense’s motion stating that the information would be important in a case dealing with potential self-defense, and that the jury’s understanding of the defendant’s claim of imminent of bodily harm would change drastically if the information were excluded.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Sept. 15.
DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman found that the prosecution met the burden of proof for probable cause in charging an individual with a Union Station homicide in a hearing on Sept. 11.
Faizon Mason, 23, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Wayne McDaniels on Feb. 10, at the parking garage of the 50 unit block Massachusetts Avenue, NE. McDaniels was pronounced dead on the scene with a gunshot wound to his back.
The prosecution called on the lead Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective in the case to testify during the preliminary hearing. The officer allegedly identified Mason as the suspect through tips called in to the department and a family member’s identification through surveillance footage.
According to the prosecution, Mason was seen through security camera footage pulling his weapon and pursuing the victim through an outdoor, open air area of Union Station. The footage depicted the individual identified as Mason firing at McDaniels, who was fleeing.
The detective stated that no witness indicated there was “bad blood” between Mason and McDaniels, or that the two knew each other prior to the incident.
Defense attorney Destiny Fullwood-Singh cited the detective’s testimony that four other individuals on the scene were at Union Station with the intent to rob someone, though the target was unclear. Furthermore, through video surveillance Fullwood-Singh said that McDaniels and one other individual could be seen watching Mason and following him through Union Station.
Fullwood-Singh argued that there was no probable cause for second-degree murder because there was clear evidence Mason was acting in self-defense.
Surveillance footage showed the individual identified as McDaniels following the defendant into a bus waiting area, which had only one entrance and exit. The footage also depicted McDaniels brandishing his gun, which led to Mason pulling his own gun. Fullwood-Singh argued that Mason pulled and fired his own weapon to get away from the situation.
The prosecution argued that the basis for probable cause comes from Mason pursuing and firing recklessly at McDaniel as he fled. The prosecution insisted that Mason had intent to kill or gravely injure McDaniels because he shot him as he ran away.
Judge Edelman found that there was probable cause for second-degree murder. The alleged dentification of the defendant by a family member was allegedly valid to establish that Mason was the suspect. The judge also agreed with the prosecution that the location of the fatal wound on the victim and the firing recklessly in Union Station was not self-defense.
The defense asked for Mason to be released to 24 hour home confinement. Mason has had a steady job for five years, is attempting to re-enroll in high school, and is in both family and individual therapy. Fullwood-Singh said that holding him in detention is a “waste”.
The judge ruled in favor of the prosecution. Mason is to be held without bond before trial.
Judge Edelman cited that the incident was dangerous not just in the content of the shooting but the context of where it happened. Firing recklessly in Union Station around rush hour endangered not only the life of McDaniel but all those around Mason.
Parties are set to reconvene Dec. 12.
Prosecutors presented a series of photographs, videos, and eyewitness testimonies allegedly showing a drive-by shooting and suspects abandoning their vehicle before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt in an ongoing homicide trial on Sept. 11
Reginald Steele, 26, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy, 10 counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, 11 counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, four counts of carrying a pistol without a license, two counts of tampering with physical evidence, and five counts of possession of an unregistered firearm.
The charges are in connection to his alleged involvement in four shootings. One of the shootings fatally woundedf 13-year-old Malachi Lukes, at the 600 block of S Street, NW on March 1, 2020. Another individual sustained injuries during the incident.
Steele is also alleged to have been involved in a non-fatal shooting on March 1, 2020 at the unit block of Channing Street, NE and non-fatal shooting on Feb. 22, 2020 at the 700 block of Farragut Street, NW.
Additionally, Steele faces charges for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting on Feb. 24, 2020 at the 1700 block of Ninth Street, NW. Three individuals sustained injuries during the incident.
Witness testimony focused on the whereabouts of the defendant and a silver Kia Soul linked to Steele during the non-fatal shooting at the unit block of Channing Street. The silver Kia Soul featured prominently in an earlier trial of Steele’s alleged accomplices, Tyiion Freeman, Koran Jackson, Stephen Nelson, and Aaron Brown, who were all convicted in 2024 for the charges Steele faces.
The prosecution called to the stand two witnesses who lived in rowhomes on the unit block of Channing Street during the time of the non-fatal shooting. One witness captured footage of the shooting through a security camera facing the alley between Channing and Bryant Streets. The footage appeared to show a man in a black hoodie firing several gunshots before running in the direction of a silver Kia Soul, which is seen seconds later driving down the alley.
During cross examination, defense counsel Gemma Stevens noted that no muzzle flashes appeared in the video, nor could the number of passengers in the Kia Soul be determined.
The jury also heard the testimony of another resident of Channing Street, who took several photos of the street from their front porch seconds after the shooting. The images included a picture of a man whom the witness said grew up in the neighborhood, running down the alley in the direction from which the Kia had absconded. The subject in the photo faced no charges from the incident.
The defense focused cross examination on the fact that the witness only took pictures down Channing Street and had a minimal view of the alley where the shooting took place.
The prosecution also called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer to the stand. The officer testified to responding to the unit block of Channing Street location and discovering a bullet hole through the front windshield of a parked Toyota Prius as well as shell casings at the top of the alley between Channing and Bryant Streets.
During the officer’s testimony, the prosecution played body-worn camera footage showing a bullet hole in the Prius and CCTV footage of the Kia Soul driving northbound on North Capitol Street.
A former resident of a condo building on the 500 block of Lamont Street, NW was called to testify. Earlier in the trial, it was established that the Kia Soul was abandoned at that location approximately 30 minutes after the non-fatal shooting at the unit block of Channing Street.
In March, 2020, the witness shared footage with MPD of four men, who the prosecution claim was the defendant and his co-conspirators, walking North on the sidewalk on the 500 block of Lamont Street.
Additionally, the prosecution called a witness to the stand who worked for the DC Housing Authority during the time of the shooting. Shortly after the shooting, the witness supplied MPD with CCTV footage from the public housing complex Park Morton which appeared to show an individual, who prosecutors claim is Steele, and his accomplices walking down the 3000 block of 6th Street, NW into the housing complex. The witness testified to seeing three individuals walking separately from a fourth towards Georgia Avenue.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Sept. 15.
