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75-year-old man stabbed in Kenilworth Park dies from injuries

Police are investigating a stabbing in Kenilworth Park last month that led to the death of 75-year-old Leoncio Loza.

According to a police report, at around 2:30 p.m. on March 21 officers responded to a bicycle trail in Kenilworth Park, on reports of aggravated assault. Upon their arrival, police found Loza suffering from multiple stab wounds. Loza was transported to a nearby hospital by helicopter in critical condition.

Loza succumbed to his injuries ten days later and his death was ruled a homicide. After conducting an autopsy, a coroner revealed Loza’s cause of death was from complications of blunt and sharp force injuries to the head and neck.

Police have not released any suspect information at this time.

Documents: Kenneth Rice arrest warrant

Kenneth Rice was arrested and charged with the murder of Dennis Wise.

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Police make an arrest in the murder of a 51-year-old man

Almost three weeks after a fatal Southeast stabbing took the life of a 51-year-old man, police announced the arrest of suspect Kenneth Rice.

Officers say Rice, 31, was allegedly responsible for Wise’s murder on March 11 in the 1800 block of Bruce Pl., SE.

According to police, officers arrived on the scene and found Wise’s body with apparent stab wounds.Wise was pronounced dead on the scene.

Rice is being held without bond as he faces second-degree murder while armed charges.

He is expected in court April 13 for a preliminary hearing.

Man charged with Corrina Mehiel’s death allegedly tortured her and stole thousands

After allegedly stabbing a visiting artist to death, El Hadji Alpha Madiou Toure, 28, stole four-thousand dollars over the course of five days.

According to charging documents, 34-year-old Corrina Mehiel’s father reported her missing to North Carolina police March 21 after she didn’t return home as planned. Within the hour, police arrived at her apartment on 600 block of 14th St., NE and found Mehiel’s lifeless body, punctured from multiple stab wounds to her neck and body.

The vast majority of the left side of her body sustained injuries. Mehiel’s left palm showed defensive wounds and large lacerations were made to the left side of her neck which pierced major arteries, veins, her voicebox and airway. A coroner report said the injuries “suggest some sort of torture.” Mehiel’s left lung, spleen and spinal cord were all punctured as well.

Mehiel’s boyfriend was the last person to hear from her. On March 21, he received a text message from her around 1 a.m. after a dinner engagement with her boss and another person.

Later that morning surveillance footage in the area placed Mehiel near her apartment building, standing next to her car, with the hatch open.

More footage in the neighborhood showed a black male wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, light colored pants with a rip near the left knee, dark colored shoes and a dark colored backpack in the area.

Two hours after the sighting of Mehiel and her car, the black male as described previously was seen driving down 14th Street in Miehel’s car.

Over the course of the next five days, the black male was sighted at multiple ATM machines withdrawing money from Mehiel’s account. Along the way the male got rid of the car and traveled by Metro. Based on Meheil’s bankcard transactions, police were able to find the SmarTrip number of the card the male used.

According to documents detailing the investigation, on Monday, March 27 a witness told police they had been with the black male described previously smoking marijuana with another person. The witness heard the two speaking about how the black male, the witness later identified as El Toure, was “hot” and “should be laying low because his face is all over the television.”

The witness also told police he heard Toure tell the person, “he got rid of the car and got another one.” Throughout the conversation Toure told the person that he “was trying to rob the woman, but was not trying to kill her.”

The same witness called 911 the same day and told police the make, model and license plate number of the car Toure was driving.

Police were then able to locate and stop Toure.

Upon searching the car, police found the SmarTrip card that was linked to Mehiel’s bankcard along with a black backpack that matched the description of the male caught on surveillance footage. The backpack also contained paperwork showing Toure bought a car on March 24 and made a one-thousand dollar payment.

Another witness, a close relative to Toure, was able to identify him to police.

Toure was arrested and formally charged with second-degree murder and theft on Tuesday.

Toure is being held without bond and is expected in court April 11 for a preliminary hearing.

Man charged with murder admits to drinking before striking 58-year-old man with his car

When asked if he had been drinking the night police say Michael Fenderson fatally struck a 58-year-old man, Fenderson told police “he had been drinking beer, rum and Hennessy,” according to charging documents.

Saturday morning around 3 a.m. police were called to 1200 block of Eastern Ave., NE on reports of a car accident. Upon police arrival, they found Lionel Bruce trapped between two vehicles and Fenderson, 57, staggering around the back of his car “keeping a hand on the vehicle to steady his balance.”

While on the scene police saw Fenderson throw a solo red cup onto the grass area next to his car, which smelled strongly of alcohol.

When asked about the incident, Fenderson told police with a blank stare and dilated pupils that a car in front of him stopped quickly and caused him to crash into it. According to police, Fenderson was unaware that he had hit a pedestrian.

Upon further investigation, police found that Fenderson was driving in the parking lane on the 1200 block of Eastern Avenue and struck Bruce who was standing behind a black Dodge Charger parked on the street. Due to the impact, Fenderson’s car allegedly pinned Bruce to the Charger and pushed the Charger along with another parked car approximately 41 feet before stopping.

Police asked Fenderson if he had been drinking which he replied with several different answers including that he had been drinking beer, rum and Hennessy. According to charging documents, Fenderson also told police he was taking painkillers, though he refused to take a sobriety test.

Complaining of knee pain, Fenderson was then brought to a nearby hospital where he refused all chemical tests.

Based on officer’s observations, Fenderson’s slurred speech, staggered walking and demeanor, police determined Fenderson was intoxicated and unable to drive safely.

Fenderson was arrested and charged with driving while under the influence, though additional charges were later added in the wake of Bruce’s death.

Fenderson now faces second-degree murder, possession of an open container and driving while under the influence.

The defendant is being held without bond and is expected in court April 5 for a preliminary hearing.

Dujuan Garris found not guilty after two years in prison

After two years in prison, a jury found 21-year-old Dujuan Garris not guilty for the murder of James Anderson on Thursday.

Throughout the duration of the case, defense attorneys Jeffrey Stein and Eugene Ohm denied any guilt on behalf of their client and instead suggested a drug gang was at fault for Anderson’s murder. They also suggested negligence on behalf of the Metropolitan Police Department.

In opening statements, Ohm told the jury that there was an incident in which officers on the scene failed to wear rubber gloves when handling evidence.

The possibility that lead detectives in the case didn’t thoroughly investigate the murder was another focal point.

The defense argued that Lead Detective Paris White chose not to disclose information involving other potential shooters that could have been the true suspect responsible for ending Anderson’s life.

The prosecution attempted to counter the defense’s argument by focusing on the eyewitnesses to the murder. However, multiple witnesses struggled to recall the details of the murder.

Prosecuting attorneys Mike Liebman and Chris Bruckmann called this repeated trend a result of the “no snitch rule.” Which Bruckmann explained as a trend in the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood not to speak with police in fear of being deemed “hot” or a “snitch.”

Despite their efforts the jury found Garris not guilty on all counts including first-degree murder.

Garris was held in jail for 779 days before Thursday’s verdict.

Christian Romero pleads not guilty to murder

The man charged with the fatal stabbing of Dimas Fuentes-Lazo pleaded not guilty Thursday.

Christian Romero, 23, is accused of stabbing 38-year-old Fuentes-Lazo to death in April 2016. According to charging documents, Fuentes-Lazo was stabbed after an argument with Romero outside of a restaurant at 833 Kennedy St., NW. Romero has been charged with second-degree murder while armed.

The case is now expected to head to trial, and a trial date of Feb. 12, 2018 was set.

According to the prosecution, a plea bargain was tentatively offered to Romero when he had a different attorney. Under the advisement of of Judge Lynn Leibovitz, the prosecution plans to create an official plea bargain and place it on the record in a future proceeding.

Romero is expected back in court April 26.

Bernard Coleman III says he shot his father by accident, documents show

The man police say shot his father in the back of the head, told them he did it accidentally when he thought his dad was asleep.

Bernard Coleman III, 23, has been charged with the murder of Bernard Coleman Jr. According to the affidavit for his arrest, Coleman III told police, “I didn’t mean to shoot [the gun] the first time, I was playing with [the gun] behind his back.”

According to a police interview, Coleman III told police he found a gun in his father’s house and was planning to run away with it, but decided against it. The night of the murder, Coleman III planned to return the gun to his father’s room when he instead fired the gun at Coleman Jr., his 43-year-old father, who appeared to be asleep. Coleman III then fled the scene after taking his father’s car keys.

Coleman III told police he forgot the gun was loaded when he fired.

The following day, March 17, police arrived to the scene, at 4001 Cole Blvd., SE, where Coleman’s sister directed them upstairs where police found Coleman Jr.’s lifeless body.

An autopsy determined Coleman Jr. had one gunshot wound to the back of the head, another on his back and an abrasion on the center of his back. The coroner also noted one of the gun shells was pulled from Coleman’s brain.

On the scene, the older Coleman’s sister told police her brother’s car was missing and noted her brother never let anyone drive his car, including his son Coleman III, otherwise known as Lil Pee Wee.

Police placed a lookout on the car which was later found at 236 37th Place, SE.

Surveillance footage in the area where the car was found showed a black male wearing a knee-length or waist-length large black winter coat, jeans and bright colored sneakers. The man was seen getting in the car and driving away.

According to witness interviews, family members told police that while at a family gathering grieving the death of Coleman Jr., Coleman III was wearing the same attire as the man described in the surveillance footage. A picture taken at the family gathering confirmed Coleman III’s attire as well.

The following week police arrived at 236 37th Place, with a warrant for Coleman III’s arrest.

Documents detailing the police investigation, also contain multiple accounts of people exchanging text messages with Coleman Jr. after he was killed. It’s suggested someone was pretending to be Coleman Jr. in order to hide his death. However, police have not confirmed if it was Coleman III sending the messages.

Coleman III is being held without bond as he faces second-degree murder while armed charges.

The defendant is expected in court April 7 for a preliminary hearing.

Government argues against suggestion of other shooters at Dujuan Garris trial

The government on Wednesday reaffirmed their argument that Dujuan Garris is responsible for the shooting of James Anderson.

Responding to arguments made by the government, Prosecutor Michael Liebman refuted that there were others who were responsible.

Liebman also slammed the defense’s contention that it was a rumor Garris came into the house and was identified as the shooter. The defense tried to discredit the witnesses who testified during the trial, and but Liegman said all witnesses’ testimonies matched what witness Jaquan Coates said when he “saw” the “shooter.”

According to the prosecutors, Coates did not personally know Garris but had seen him before about “four times.”

In response to the defense’s argument that Coates and his family were promised $25,000 if they spoke to the police, the government said Coates and his family moved from one “rough” neighborhood to another, suggesting that money was not a motivation for him to testify.

During closing arguments, the defense argued Garris did not have the gun about a year after the shooting.  Leibman said it was irrelevant–what mattered is who “had the gun” when the shooting happened, and suggested it was Garris.

The jury has begun deliberating and Garris is still being held without bond.

Documents: Bernard Coleman arrest warrant

Bernard Coleman III was arrested and charged with his father’s death.

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Bernard Coleman charged with his father’s murder

Police have arrested and charged Bernard Coleman III, 23, for the alleged murder of a 43-year-old man, who police say was his father.

According to police, Bernard Coleman was killed last Friday around 8:55 a.m. in the 4000 block of Cole Blvd., SE. Police found Coleman’s lifeless body suffering from gunshot wounds. Coleman was pronounced dead on the scene and later brought to the chief medical examiner’s office.

Coleman III was arrested Tuesday after a warrant for burglary was issued by DC Superior Court. Upon further investigation Coleman was charged with both burglary and second-degree murder while armed.

Coleman III will be presented in court Wednesday afternoon.