On Jan. 1, a pedestrian was killed in a traffic accident on the Intersection of Minnesota Avenue and L’Enfant Square, SE.
According to a MPD press release, a silver colored SUV was traveling southwest on Minnesota Avenue, Southeast. The vehicle failed to make a turn and drove off the roadway. The vehicle struck a pedestrian who was on a sidewalk inside of a park area.
The occupants of the vehicle fled the scene, leaving the vehicle on the scene.
DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and transported the victim to a local hospital. After all life-saving efforts failed, the victim was pronounced dead.
The victim was identified as 32 year-old Loleita Patricia Gross, of Southeast, DC.
This case remains under investigation.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is requested to contact the Metropolitan Police Department at (202) 727-9099.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department arrested a 27-year-old man in connection to a homicide that occurred in 2015.
According to a press release, Terrell Brent a resident of Oxon Hill, Md., was charged with first-degree murder while armed a for allegedly shooting 33-year-old Darrell Grays Jr.
Grays, who was a resident of Northeast, DC, was found unconscious and unresponsive. He died at a local hospital.
Apparently, the shooting occurred on the 1600 block of E Street, NE.
The Metropolitan Police Department arrested Dec. 30 a man they believe is connected to a homicide that occurred on the 1300 block Congress Street, SE.
According to a press release, 29-year-old Romiel Hightower is charged with first-degree murder while armed. He allegedly shot 27-year-old Jamal Bandy several times on July 21.
On Dec. 30, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department arrested a 43-year-old man in connection to a homicide that occurred in the Manning Heights area of Washington, DC.
According to a press release, Diantre Smith, a resident of Northeast, DC, was charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 28-year-old Nyesha Lenea Galloway on the 400 block of 42nd Street, NE on Dec. 20.
Galloway, who was a resident of Hyattsville, Md. was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred on the Unit block of Riggs Road, NE on Dec.28.
According to a press release, officers found 28 year-old Tarriq Childs a resident of Silver Spring, MD, in a vehicle suffering from a gunshot wound. Childs was taken to a local hospital where he was was pronounced dead.
The department is offering up to a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this case or any other homicide case in Washington, DC. Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s Text Tip Line — 50411.
A DC Superior Court Judge released a murder defendant on Dec. 20.
Terell Kevonte Blackman and 25-year-old Devin Hill are charged with first-degree murder while armed. Hill is also charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for their involvement in the death of 28 year-old Michael Cunningham on Nov. 29.
Steven Kiersh, Blackman’s, attorney said that the prosecution’s evidence showed that Blackman was not the shooter and was actually the driver of the car.
Kiersh also said that Blackman, 25, had no criminal past and completed high school and college and deserved to be released because he had a supportive family that would ensure his compliance.
The prosecution said that even though Blackman wasn’t the shooter, he drove the car around the crime scene, “a few times” looking for the victim. He let the shooter out and picked him up after the killing, concluding that Blackman was a danger to the community.
Judge Ronna Beck said that based on his involvement and his minimal criminal history she would release him into the High Intensity Supervision Program. Blackman is required to wear a GPS monitoring device, according to a release order that was filed o Dec. 20.
Blackman’s preliminary hearing is scheduled to occur on Jan. 10, 2020 along with Hill.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred on the 1800 Block of Corcoran Street, NE.
According to a press release, officer found two adult males suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on Dec. 26. Officers transported both victims to a local hospital for treatment
Twenty-six-year-old Andre Carroll was pronounced dead on Dec. 27.
The other victim was treated for non life-threatening injuries.
The department is offering up to a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this case or any other homicide case in Washington, DC. Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s Text Tip Line — 50411.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred on the 400 block of 42nd Street, NE.
According to a press release, officer found 28 year-old Nyesha Lenea Galloway, a resident of Hyattsville, MD, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The department is offering up to a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this case or any other homicide case in Washington, DC. Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s Text Tip Line — 50411.
Two defendants in a five-defendant murder case requested counsel changes Dec. 20.
Stephon EvansAlonzo Brown, and Tavist Alston are indicted for first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and assault with the intent to kill while armed charges for their alleged involvement in the death of 22-year-old Michael Taylor on the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE on Jan. 12. Naquel Henderson and Carlos Turner are also charged with first-degree murder in relation to the homicide.
Alston, who already opted to keep his defense attorney Marnitta King, filed a motion, requesting Judge Todd Edelman appoint another attorney and retain King as his Criminal Justice Act attorney.
Brown told Judge Edelman that he planned on retaining his own attorney before February of 2020 but wanted Edelman to appoint an attorney to replace his current attorney, Russell Hairston.
The prosecution told the judge that an indictment for Alston would be secured by deadline.
Judge Edelman agreed to appoint new counsel for Alston and told Brown that if he had not retained new counsel by the next hearing, he would be more open to appointing new counsel.
Henderson, 22, is scheduled for a felony status conference and a preliminary hearing on Jan. 24, 2020.
Turner, 21, is scheduled for a felony status conference on Feb. 7, 2020.
Evans, 19, and Brown, 22, are scheduled for a status hearing on Jan. 24, 2020. Alston, 26, is scheduled for a felony status conference on Jan. 24, 2020.
A DC Superior Court judge set an indictment deadline for a prosecutor on Dec. 20.
Xavier Hamilton, 26, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in the shooting death of 39-year-old Ivy Smith on the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE in 2016. According to court documents, another individual was found suffering from a gunshot wound at a nearby beauty supply store.
The prosecutor told Judge Todd Edelman that he expects that an indictment would be handed down within two months.
The prosecutor told the judge and defense attorney, Heather Pinckney, why an indictment hadn’t yet been secured at the bench.
The parties agreed to an indictment deadline of March 11, 2020.
Judge Edelman set another felony status conference to occur on Feb. 28.
A defense attorney asked a DC Superior Court judge for a continuance so her client could be mentally restored.
Vaughn Alexander Kosh, a resident of Northeast, DC, on Dec. 7. Kosh is charged with first-degree murder while armed and with the intent to kill for allegedly shooting 38-year-old Alayna Danielle Howard in her apartment on the 1700 block of Capitol Avenue, NE. Howard’s mother and boyfriend were also injured in the shooting.
Elizabeth Weller, defense attorney for Kosh, 48, asked Judge Ronna Beck for a continued preliminary hearing because mental competency exam results showed that Kosh could be completely restored.
The prosecution did not object.
A mental observation hearing has been set on Jan. 24, 2020.
The Metropolitan Police Department arrested a second person who is suspected of being involved in a fatal shooting that occurred on the 1600 Block of West Virginia Avenue, NE.
According to a press release, officers charged 21 year-old Malik Tyrone Coghill with first-degree murder while armed on Dec. 18. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 3, 2020.
He is being charged for the crime along with Brandon Wiggins. The men allegedly shot Damon Bell on June 16.
Donald Lewis
Wiggins, 22, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 20. He is also charged with allegedly shooting Donald Lewis on Dec. 18, 2018 on the 1700 block of West Virginia Avenue, NE.
A DC Superior Court judge denied a motion to conduct a pretrial hearing to determine the reliability of the prosecution’s key cooperating witness on Dec. 18.
After the case was transferred from Judge Todd Edelman to Judge Ronna Beck, Judge Beck ruled that there was no need to have a hearing to test Massaquoi’s reliability because the prosecution made representations that his statements were all corroborated by other witnesses involved in the case.
The prosecution said Massaquoi told the police, when he turned himself in, that he drove the car that picked up Taylor from a recreation center in Silver Spring, Md. He said he was followed by a purple car, which was corroborated by the witness who was driving the purple car.
Massaquoi also said he was trying to lose the car and made a series of quick turns and U-turns in order to lose the vehicle. This was also corroborated by the witness who drove the purple car.
Massaquoi also gave the police the specific location where Taylor’s car was left after the murder, which was confirmed by a Carfax report that said the car was abandoned in the exact area that Massaquoi told officers. The vehicle was never found by police following the murder.
Because of this Judge Beck denied the defense’s motion for a pretrial hearing, however she did grant a motion for a competency exam for Massaquoi.
Judge Beck also denied the prosecution’s theory of an extended ammunition magazine, which could have held the same type of bullets that killed Taylor.
Judge Beck also denied a motion to continue the trial based on the fact that the defense only wanted the trial to continue because of the amount of motions that were presented and unaddressed.
Trial is scheduled to begin, for Binion and Carvajal, on Jan. 21, 2020.
A trial readiness hearing for Binion and Carvajal is scheduled on Jan. 16, 2020.
Massaquoi is being tried separately. A status hearing is scheduled for Massaquoi on Feb. 5, 2020
A DC Superior Court judge released a murder defendant on Dec. 17.
John Fenner is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Jonathan Hernandez on the 100 block of T Street, NE. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe ordered for Fenner, 49, to be released on Dec. 16 but pre-trial services were not available to fit Fenner with a GPS monitor so Judge Iscoe continued the hearing to the next day.
Judge Iscoe released Fenner to 15-days of home confinement, followed by a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. Iscoe also ordered that Fenner be allowed to go to work and make two shopping trips per week. He also told Fenner he must clear all other activities with pre-trial services.
Roderick Thompson, Fenner’s attorney, told the judge that Fenner owned a used car dealership and needed to attend auctions to obtain the cars.
A status hearing is scheduled to occur on Jan. 24, 2020.
Prior to a preliminary hearing, a defense attorney said the prosecution had not given all the evidence needed for a murder case.
Melvin Simmons is charged with first-degree murder while armed with a firearm for the shooting of 28-year-old Ronald Brown on the 3400 block of 18th Street, SE on Aug. 22.
Simmons defense attorney, Ieshaah Murphy, told DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe that the prosecution had not turned over all of the evidence, including the full surveillance video and the multiple 9-1-1 calls made by residents in the area.
Murphy said that multiple people gave descriptions to police of who the shooter is. Those descriptions may or may not be accurate of Simmons, but she said she would need those calls to find out.
She also said that the surveillance footage was grainy and it was hard to identify people within the footage but that she would be happy to sign a protective order for it.
Murphy also said that it was hard for her to prepare for the preliminary hearing because she did not have access to the evidence. She also said the prosecution was using this evidence as part of the arrest warrant affidavit and therefore believed she deserved access.
The prosecution said they provided stills of the videos showing someone, who they believe is Simmons, walking around the area of the murder.
Judge Iscoe found that there was probable cause that Simmons committed the murder and also ordered the prosecution to turn over all evidence available to them, including the full surveillance footage and the 9-1-1 calls with the descriptions.
A felony status conference is scheduled to occur on Jan. 17, 2020.
