Judge Holds 9 Defendants During Initial Hearings

On Sept. 11, DC Superior Court Judge Sean Staples released 39 defendants and held nine defendants in DC Jail during their initial hearings.

Eric Beasley is being held on first-degree murder charges. According to court documents, Beasley, 29, and the victim, 45-year-old David Farewell, were witnessed arguing outside of a gas station, believed to be located on the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SW.

The victim left the gas station on his bicycle, and Beasley was seen following in his car. The two travelled for a short period of time before Beasley’s vehicle allegedly accelerated and swerved in the direction of Farewell, striking him near the 2100 block of Young Street, SE.

A witness at the scene said Beasley attempt to remove the victim’s body from under his car before fleeing the scene. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services transported the victim to a nearby hospital, where the victim was later pronounced dead.

“To suggest that the driver intended to cause harm to the biker is speculation,” Beasley’s defense attorney, Jeffrey Stein, said, claiming court documents failed to establish intent to harm, or kill Farewell. The defense requested that the judge release Beasley so he could return home where he co-parents four children.

At the time of the alleged offense, Beasley was on probation for a previous assault case but was compliant on all release conditions. Judge Staples referred to the fact that the defendant’s previous charges were violent crimes, and he could not ensure the community would be safe with the defendant’s release. Judge Staples decided to hold the defendant and scheduled a hearing for Oct. 1.

One defendant is being held on a contempt charge for violating a stay away order and violating a Temporary Protective Order (TPO). The prosecution requested she be held due to having two pending charges, both involving the same complainant.

The defendant was released on Aug. 14, after being charged with simple assault, and ordered to stay away from the victim. She violated this stay away order and was arrested again on Sept. 8. She is being held in DC Jail, and Judge Staples scheduled her next hearing for Sept. 29.

Jamaal Muhammad is charged with two cases of being a fugitive from justice, where he is wanted in Maryland for a parole violation and a probation violation. The defendant waived his right to an extradition hearing on the fugitive cases and will be held in DC Jail for three business days, where he will wait to be picked up by Maryland authorities.

Judge Staples is holding Ophelia Delonta, 60, for armed robbery. On Sept. 10, police officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to a robbery on the 400 block of L Street, NW. The victim of the crime showed MPD slash marks on her back and stated that her purse was taken.

During the hearing, the defense claimed there were identification issues with the court documents, however the prosecution stated the assault and robbery were caught on camera.

Judge Staples stated that, due to the nature of the case and since the victim received stab wounds on the lower back, he will hold Delonta in DC Jail. pending her next hearing.

Mecca Lee Bey is being held for failure to appear in court on Aug. 26. The defendant was arrested on March 5 after an undercover buy and bust operation was conducted. Lee Bey is also charged with being a fugitive from justice, where he has outstanding warrants for assault in Maryland and larceny in Virginia.

Lee Bey was advised by his defense team to waive his right to extradition hearings, so he is being held on all three cases.

John Honesty was brought before Judge Staples on two fugitive matters and a parole violation. Judge Staples decided to release him from the fugitive charges but hold him in DC Jail on account of his parole violation.

Marcus Boomer, 38, was stopped on Sept. 10 near the 3900 block of 1st Street, SE by MPD officers, after they noticed Boomer’s front bumper of his vehicle scraping the ground. Officers ran the vehicle’s tags and discovered they did not match the vehicle’s description.

When approaching the vehicle, officers noticed shell casings on the floorboards and an open container of alcohol. Officers also discovered a firearm in between the driver’s seat and the center console. Boomer was held on the charge of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction due to the dangerousness of the alleged offense.

Stacy Brown, charged with failing to register as a sex offender, was held. Judge Staples released him in his new case but held him on a parole matter. Once released, Brown is ordered to register as a sex offender wtihin 24-hours.

Finally, Judge Staples held Efemena Mokedi, who is charged with second-degree theft and simple assault. Judge Staples decided to hold Mokedi, citing the violence toward the victim and he has four pending cases in DC and is out of compliance with pretrial release conditions in all of them.

Of those released, one defendant did not have charges filed against them by the prosecution, one defendant’s case was dismissed and one defendant was served a Civil Protection Order (CPO) and released.

Five additional defendants charged in domestic violence cases were released with stay-away orders.

Ten defendants, charged with being fugitives from justice from either Maryland or Virginia, were released with orders to turn themselves in to the demanding jurisdictions within 24-hours.

Ten defendants were charged with possession of controlled substances, which included marijuana, cocaine, hashish, fentanyl, suboxone, oxycodone and PCP, were also released.

Six defendants, charged with felonies, were released with various release conditions, including GPS monitoring, curfew, orders not to possess firearms or ammunition and stay-away orders.

Four additional defendants charged with misdemeanors, including simple assault, second-degree theft, assault on a police officer and possession of a prohibited weapon, were released. Three of the defendants were given stay-away orders and the other defendant was turned over to the Department of Behavioral Health for emergency mental health services.

One final defendant, brought in on a bench warrant for failing to appear at his hearing in his domestic violence case, was released with a new court date of Feb. 11, 2021.

Document: Police Search for Suspect Connected to Defacing MPD Property

The Metropolitan Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance to identify a suspect who is connected to defacing a MPD vehicle.

According to a press release, the suspect allegedly spray painted a police vehicle on the 2000 block of 17th Street, NW.

The department is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction for a violent crime committed in the District of Columbia. Anyone with information should call the police at 2020-727-9099 or text the department’s Text Tip Line –50411.

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Document: Police Arrest 3 Suspects in Knife Assaults

From Sept. 10-11, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested three suspects in connection to assaults with knives.

The most recent incident occurred just before midnight on Sept. 10, involving a 51-year-old man allegedly brandished a knife in an attempt to assault a victim after a verbal dispute on the 1100 block of U Street, NW.

The suspect was apprehended immediately after the incident, and there were no injuries reported.

The police department reports that the incident may have been motivated by hate or bias. The case is still under investigation.

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A 60-year-old suspect was also arrested on Sept. 10 for an assault and armed robbery that occurred on the 400 block of L Street, NW.

Early that day, at 8:30 p.m., the suspect allegedly approached a victim, brandished a knife and stabbed the victim. The suspect took property from the victim and fled the scene.

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During the afternoon of Sept. 10, police arrested a 36-year-old man for allegedly approaching a victim inside of an establishment on the 1200 block of Brentwood Road, NE, brandishing a knife and attempting to stab the victim.

The suspect was apprehended by responding officers. No injuries were reported.

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Judge Issues Two Bench Warrants During Pretrial, Probation Hearings

A DC Superior Court judge issued two bench warrants and continued cases during pretrial and probation hearings on Sept. 11.

Judge Michael O’Keefe issued bench warrants for Herman Johnson and Jerry Hellams’ arrest after they failed to appear in court.

Johnson, 41, is charged with distribution of heroin.

According to a representative from the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA,) Johnson has been a loss of contact and has tampered with his GPS. Johnson’s attorney, Steven Polin, has also been unable to contact him.

“I believe he is homeless,” said Johnson. “I have no means to contact him.”

Hellems, 64, is charged with distribution of a controlled substance for allegedly distributing PCP on April 7 on the 100 Block of Mississippi Avenue, SE.

According to the PSA representative, he has only reported to them twice since his release, despite being ordered to do so weekly.

Hellems’ attorney, Jason Kalafat, has been unable to reach him through his cell phone number.

Judge O’Keefe continued an assault defendant’s probation show cause hearing.

Glendon Kelly is serving 12 months of probation for simple assault.

Kelly, 22, was re-arrested twice and, according to the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA,) has failed to comply with his conditions.

Kelly’s attorney, Lucas Dansie, said Kelly has recently become compliant with his medical treatment. Judge O’Keefe said he will continue the hearing to give Kelly more time to fully comply with his conditions.

Judge O’Keefe scheduled Kelly’s next show cause hearing for Dec. 2.

Judge O’Keefe continued a probation show cause hearing for a defendant charged in two cases.

Rondez Tibbs is serving five years of probation for robbery and carrying a pistol without a license in one case, and unlawful possession of a firearm in another. The two cases date back to 2014 and 2015.

According to CSOSA, Tibbs, 25, while on probation, has been arrested three times. He’s been convicted in one of those cases. The conviction was for driving without a license in Virginia. One of the other arrests was for allegedly fleeing during a high-speed chase in California.

Tibbs did not get permission to leave DC during his time in California.

Tibbs’ attorney, Roderick Thompson, asked for the case to be continued.

“Mr. Tibbs is here today, when he did come back (from California), he did initiate contact with CSOSA,” said Thompson. “Mr. Tibbs understands the gravity of what’s going on. If we’re talking about whether or not this young man is a danger, they are just traffic matters.”

Judge O’Keefe is giving Tibbs 30 days to comply, otherwise, his probation under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA) could be revoked.

Judge O’Keefe scheduled Tibbs’ next show cause hearing for Oct. 20.

Judge O’Keefe also continued a defendant’s probation hearing.

DeAngelo Washington is serving probation for threatening to kidnap and injure.

According to his probation officer, Washington has an outstanding warrant for GPS tampering.

Judge O’Keefe said Washington was given 60 days to become compliant at his last show cause hearing.

“The frustrating thing is it’s tough to fault Mr. Washington because he was willing to work with probation,” said the prosecution. “But he didn’t turn himself in and we’re in the exact same place we were 60 days ago.”

Washington was ordered by Judge O’Keefe to clear up his bench warrant violation. Washington will have a last chance to become compliant.

Judge O’Keefe scheduled Washington’s next show cause hearing for Oct. 30.

Judge O’Keefe continued another pretrial show cause hearing for a defendant charged in four cases.

Edward Cowser is charged with second-degree theft, shoplifting, attempted possession of a prohibited knife, simple assault and attempted threats to do bodily harm.

Cowser, 41, was not present at his hearing. Defense attorney, Jamison Koehler said his client is currently in the hospital after being a victim of a robbery.

Judge O’Keefe scheduled Cowser’s show cause hearing for Sept. 25.

Judge O’Keefe continued a weapon possession defendant’s probation.

Andrew Coward is serving a two year probation for carrying a pistol without a license outside home or business, possession of an unregistered firearm and possession of unlawful ammunition.

According to his probation officer, Coward, 26, was initially not reporting for his mental health treatment. He also failed drug tests and the officer recommended that he get substance abuse treatment.

Coward’s attorney, Quiana Harris, said Coward will receive drug treatment through his new mental health provider.

The prosecution requested the case to continue for 60 days to see if Coward gets back on track.

Judge O’Keefe scheduled Coward’s next show cause hearing for Nov. 12.

Judge O’Keefe discharged the show cause hearing for an assault defendant.

Ladonna Jones is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for an incident on June 22.

According to the PSA, Jones has been compliant with her release conditions. Jones’ attorney, Amy Phillips, asked Judge O’Keefe to take her off home confinement and impose a curfew instead.

The prosecution opposed this because Jones has had difficulties staying out of trouble when not on home confinement.

Judge O’Keefe decided to leave Jones on home confinement and discharge the pretrial show cause hearing.

Judge O’Keefe continued a burglary defendants’ show cause hearing.

Kareem Watkins is charged with first-degree burglary.

Watkins, 43, was not present for his hearing. Defense attorney Prescott Loveland said Watkins did not receive notice of the hearing and is in recovery from major surgery.

Although Watkins has been a loss of contact since July, according to the PSA representative, Judge O’Keefe continued the hearing.

Judge O’Keefe scheduled Watkins’ next show cause hearing for Sept. 22.

Defendant Picks Up New Case in Connection with 2019 Incident

A defendant was not present at his status hearing because he was re-arrested for an alleged offense that happened in 2019.

Kenneth O’Neal, 30, is charged with distribution of fentanyl and possession of cocaine. He was arrested after allegedly selling fentanyl to an undercover Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer on July 2, 2019, on the 1200 block of Simms Place, NE. During his arrest, officers allegedly found 2.38 grams of cocaine.

The Sept. 11 hearing was scheduled so that O’Neal could enter a plea. However, that same day, he was being arraigned in a new case for theft.

Defense attorney Charles Wall told DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt that his client was being held for his initial hearing for the new charge. However, the prosecution said they would not be seeking to hold the defendant on his new charge.

Judge Brandt scheduled a new hearing for Sept. 29 to allow time for Wall to meet with his client. The prosecutor said he would look into a new plea deal to resolve the new charge O’Neal is facing.

In his new case, O’Neal is charged with second-degree theft. He allegedly stole money from Five Below, a specialty discount store, as an employee, over the course of two months last year.

Judge Brandt contacted the judge presiding over O’Neal’s new case to clarify the situation.

Next Hearing Scheduled for Murder Defendant Awaiting Trial

On Sept. 11, a DC Superior Court judge scheduled the next status hearing for a murder defendant.

Eldred Watts is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of Zenus Epps, 33, who was shot to death March 25 on the 3500 block of A Street, SE. Police arrested Watts on March 27. Watts is being held without bail.

Watts, 26, is being held in DC jail pending a grand jury trial. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no grand jury trial can take place at this time. The judge said that he doesn’t know when a grand jury will be held because of the uncertainty of the pandemic.

Therefore, the court will continue to schedule status hearings until they know when they can set have a trial for Watts.

The defense also requested Watts’ medical files from the prosecution. Defense attorney Dana Page said she wanted the documents to assess the defendant’s mental health.

According to court documents, a dispute between the victim and a resident of the apartment building seemed to take place. The victim left the apartment and was shot at close range in the head moments after. One witness identified Watts as the shooter. At the time, Watts’ girlfriend was involved with a dispute with the defendant. Another witness described another individual who was not apprehended by the police.

Judge Neal Kravitz scheduled the next felony status hearing for Jan. 22, 2021.

Document: Police Arrest Suspect for Homicide in Deanwood

Hours after the Metropolitan Police Department reported a homicide on the 700 block of 51st Street, NE, officers arrested a suspect.

According to a press release, 29-year-old Stephon Williams is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting 49-year-old Stephen Magruder, a resident of Northeast, DC, shortly after midnight on Sept. 11 inside a residence on the block. Magruder died on the scene.

A police investigation revealed that the homicide is domestic in nature.

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Document: Police Arrest Suspect for Shooting 5-year-old Boy

After searching for suspects in a shooting of a 5-year-old boy, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department were able to apprehend one of the suspects on Sept. 10.

The 17-year-old that was arrested was a 17-year-old juvenile. According to news reports, the victim sustained a gunshot wound to his abdomen. The boy was treated at a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Police sent out a notice on Aug. 22, requesting assistance in identifying to individuals who were allegedly involved in the shooting that took place on the 1300 block of Congress Street, SE on Aug. 21.

Two males were believed to be involved, so the case is still open.

The department is offering up to a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction for a violent crime in DC. Anyone with information about this shooting should call the police at 202-727-9099 or text the department’s Text Tip Line — 50411.

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Document: Arrest Made in Assault with Dangerous Weapon Offense

On Sept. 10, a 36-year-old male was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.

Around 4:34 p.m., the suspect approached the victim inside an establishment on the 1200 block of Brentwood Road, NE and brandished a knife. After attempting to stab the victim, the suspect was apprehended by Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers.

No injuries were reported.

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Document: Homicide in Kenilworth Terrace, NE

Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating a fatal shooting that happened on Sept. 10.

Shortly before 11 p.m., officers found 28-year-old Brandon Rose in a vehicle suffering form multiple gunshot wounds. He died on the scene. Officers also located a woman suffering from a gunshot wound. She was treated for non-life threatening injuries at a local hospital.

The department is offering a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s Text Tip Line — 50411.

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Crime Alerts: September 10-11

Between 9 p.m. on Sept. 10 and 9 a.m. on Sept. 11, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out three crime alerts.

The most recent alert was sent at 1:04 a.m. for a shooting investigation on the 700 block of 51st Street, NE. Police are looking for a Black male with short dreads, wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.

Another alert for a shooting was sent at 11:27 p.m. on the 800 block of Kennilworth Avenue, NE. Police are looking for a white SUV pickup truck, which is occupied by three males.

An alert was sent at 9:14 p.m. for a stabbing on the 400 block of L Street, NW. Two suspects have been detained by police.

If anyone has information about these events, please call 911.

Crime Alerts: September 10

The Metropolitan Police Department sent out two crime alerts during the day on Sept. 10.

The most recent alert was sent at 5:06p.m. for a shooting investigation on the 4700 block of Blaine Street, NE. Police are looking for a black male wearing sunglasses with a mask on his mouth and a black hoodie.

At 4:07 p.m., police sent out another alert of a shooting investigation on the 4400 block of 3rd Street, NW at 3:50p.m. Police are looking for a red in color SUV.

Anyone with information about these incidents should call 911.

Judge Issues 3 Bench Warrants, Detains 1 Defendant for Show Cause Hearings

A DC Superior Court judge issued three bench warrants, detained one defendant, terminated two probations and released five individuals during pretrial and probation show cause hearings on Sept. 10.

Judge Michael O’Keefe issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Rosalinda Lopez, who is charged with simple assault. Lopez was supposed to contact the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) once a week and verify her address, which she failed to do. She has been a loss of contact since late July.

Judge O’Keefe also issued a bench warrant for Nathaniel Carter, who pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary. Carter did not show up to his probation show cause hearing.

Omara Hussein was also issued a bench warrant after not showing up to court. Hussein, 27, is on probation for simple assault and possession of a controlled substance.

A domestic violence defendant is charged with felony attempt to commit robbery and second-degree cruelty to children. He allegedly violated the stay away order against the victim in his case multiple times.

The prosecution showed photo evidence of messages he allegedly sent to the victim via Instagram. He also allegedly physically assaulted the victim outside of her apartment.

Due to his repeated violation of release conditions, Judge O’Keefe decided to detain the defendant at DC Jail.

Joanna Adams pleaded guilty to the attempted distribution of a controlled substance and was sentenced to one year of probation. However, the last time probation spoke to her was on July 9, when she said she was in a treatment program.

Adams showed up to court late today. Judge O’Keefe decided to terminate her probation as unsuccessful.

Malik Goodman’s probation was also terminated as unsuccessful. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sex abuse. Goodman repeatedly violated conditions of his probation by not being compliant with drug trusting and by failing to successfully complete the court-ordered sex offender treatment program.

The judge noted that, while he failed in compliance with drug testing and the sex offender treatment program, he was generally overall well-behaved. Goodman was not re-arrested for any crimes, did not violate the stay away order that was in place and successfully paid his fee to the Crime Victims Compensation Program.

According to DC Courts, neither defendant was jailed again after the unsuccessful terminations.

Rafael Yanez, 23, pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while impaired on Nov. 8, 2019. Although he had two recent arrests in the past year while on probation, he completed the traffic safety program, victim impact panel and payment to the crime victims program.

The defendant is also in the process of completing a traffic and alcohol program. His records with the PSA also indicate a lack of any positive testing for illegal substances. The judge ended the hearing and will allow Yanez’s probation to continue until it expires on Nov. 8.

Judge O’Keefe decided to give a defendant charged with misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child or minor one more chance to comply with the conditions of his pretrial release. He has had multiple violations of his curfew and has repeatedly allowed his GPS monitoring system to lose charge. The judge set another hearing date for Oct. 9 to see if the defendant will comply with conditions. He also ordered the defendant to contact his case manager.

Andrea Tillman, 34, pleaded guilty to bail violation on Nov. 12, 2019 . She received a violation from probation for not having contacted Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) with her address. With less than two months of probation left, the judge decided to end the hearing. He said that as long as there are no future violations, her probation will end as planned.

Michael Taylor is charged with simple assault. He failed to verify his address. The judge released him and ordered him to contact the PSA as soon as possible.

Document: Suspect and Vehicle Sought In Armed Robbery

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a suspect and vehicle in reference to an armed robbery (gun) offense that occurred on the 1300 block of Taylor Street, NW on Sept. 1.

At approximately 5:30 a.m., the suspects approached the victim and took the victim’s property while brandishing handguns. The suspects then fled the scene in a vehicle, which can be seen in the video below.

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Document: One Killed, One Injured in Northeast, DC

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detectives are investigating a homicide that happened on Sept. 9.

At around 4:34 p.m., officers responded to the 900 block of Irving Street, NE for the report of a shooting. There, they found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Police also found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 800 block of Michigan Avenue, NE.

Both victims were taken to the hospital.

One of the victims, 31 year-old Jonathan Raiford, of Northeast, DC, was ultimately pronounced dead.

The other victim was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

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