Stabbing Defendant Enters Not Guilty Plea at Arraignment

By Adrianna Bhan [former] - July 11, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | stabbing | Suspects |

During his arraignment, one of four co-defendants entered a not guilty plea July 9 for a jailhouse stabbing before DC Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur.

Dionte Anderson, 25, was arraigned on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon with a sharp object, unlawful possession of contraband in a penal institution, and carrying a dangerous weapon for his alleged involvement in a stabbing that occurred on May 5 at the DC Jail on the 1900 block of D Street, SE. 

Anderson is charged alongside Ndiaye Elhadji, 24, Tyrone Hawkins, 22, and Dion Lee, 24.

According to court documents, the four suspects allegedly stabbed another inmate, and a corrections officer was injured trying to break up the melee at the jail.

Anderson’s defense attorney, John Machato, entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. 

The prosecuting attorney offered Anderson a wired plea agreement that requires all four co-defendants to plead guilty to attempted assault with a dangerous weapon. In exchange all other charges will be dropped.

If the offer is rejected, the prosecution may seek to charge the defendants with assault with intent to kill given the victim was stabbed in the head. 

Anderson was being held at the DC jail while he awaited trial for the murder of 31-year-old Adrian Mack, but he has since been transferred to Northern Neck Regional Jail. 

All four defendants were slated to meet for a status hearing before Anderson’s arraignment, but Lee is currently being held in Kentucky and Hawkins refused to get on the bus. 

Parties are set to return on Aug. 5.