Victim Testifies in Non-Fatal Shooting Incident Started by a Milk Crate

By Ashley Drazka , Phillip Lopez - March 30, 2024
Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On March 28, prosecutors called three witnesses to testify against a non-fatal shooting defendant in front of DC Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld.

Diandre Caesar, 29, is charged with three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, second-degree cruelty to children, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, among other charges, for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting incident that occurred on June 28, 2022, on the 2200 block of New York Avenue, NE. No injuries were reported.

According to court documents, the incident stemmed from a disagreement regarding a milk crate in a parking lot, which led to the suspect shooting at the victim’s vehicle.

During the hearing, prosecutors called one of the victims to the stand, who was present during an alleged altercation between her boyfriend and the defendant.

According to the witness, she and her boyfriend were in their car with their one-year-old son at a McDonald’s drive-through when they were blocked by a milk crate left on the ground.

Dash cam footage, which was shown in open court, allegedly shows the witness’ boyfriend throwing the milk crate over the fence and into a Salvation Army parking lot. The footage then showed a man, identified as Caesar, running through the Salvation Army parking lot and throwing the crate back over the fence, hitting the victims’ car.

The boyfriend and the other man got into a verbal altercation with another. The boyfriend then got back into the car and made an attempt to leave, but when the car was stopped, the defendant allegedly kicked the rear passenger car door, at which point the witness can be heard saying “run him over.”

She said her “momma bear instincts kicked in” and that she was worried for her son’s safety.

They then sped off as the man allegedly shot at their car.

The witness testified that after a few minutes, the boyfriend pulled the car over at a gas station to make sure that the dash cam footage was saved. They also inspected the car and saw four bullet holes in the rear bumper and trunk.

Following the victim’s testimony, prosecutors called on a bus driver, who works for Coach USA, and testified that while driving his bus on New York Avenue, he heard “loud commotion” coming from his left-hand side.

The witness said he saw two people inside a car by the fence of the Salvation Army and a male outside the car who seemed to be involved in an argument with each other.

According to the witness, an “individual pulled out what I thought was maybe a handgun and started firing at the car.”

He then testified that he heard two gunshots and saw muzzle flashes. The witness identified the shooter as an African American male.

Prosecutors also called upon a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective who arrived at the scene shortly after the incident.

The detective testified that she was able to recover video footage from the Salvation Army that allegedly showed the altercation between the victims and the defendant.

 Parties are slated to return April 1.