Crime: D.C. Summer Crime Spree Continues; Youth Curfew; Local Reports
By • September 2, 2023 0 1801
Guns, Yes, But Any Weapons Will Do …
Mayor Muriel Bowser and Acting Police Chief Pamela A. Smith cite illegal gun-trafficking in the District as a major factor in the alarming rise in violent crime in the nation’s capital throughout the summer. Of course, so many other sorts of violent crimes are also committed in neighborhoods throughout the city, adding to the melee.
In the last few days, violent robberies have been committed around town with knives, hammers and physical assaults, suggestive of a particular desperation by the assailants.
On August 31, around 2:15 p.m., Pascal Valadier, the business manager for Georgetown Wine & Spirits at 2701 P St. NW fell victim to an armed robbery with a knife in broad daylight. Valadier told The Georgetowner’s Editor-in-Chief Robert Devaney that the perpetrator entered the store, cornered Valadier, threatened him with what appeared to be a vegetable knife, and demanded money from the cash register, getting away with approximately $800 in cash. The assailant was only wearing one glove, so Valadier is hoping detectives can lift fingerprints from the scene, Devaney said. “We’re currently awaiting a surveillance video or photo from MPD” from the incident. MPD Second District Lt. Merzig told ANC 2E commissioners at their September 5 virtual meeting it was a “pretty brazen robbery in the middle of the day.”
Georgetown Wine & Spirits at 27th & P Streets in Georgetown. Courtesy Google.
In another knife case… On September 1, detectives from MPD’s Third District announced an arrest in reference to an “Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Knife)” offense” August 31 in the 1500 block of North Capitol Street, NW. “At approximately 8:17 a.m… officers responded to the location for the report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, [they] made contact with an adult male stabbing victim. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect was apprehended by responding officers. On… August 31, 2023, 21-year-old Damario Thornton, of Northwest, D.C., was arrested and charged.”
Then there are hammers… On August 23, detectives from MPD’s Second District requested public assistance in “identifying and locating a suspect in reference to an Armed Robbery (Hammer) offense… August 22. In the 2400 block of Wisconsin Ave. NW. “At approximately 6:15 p.m., the suspect entered an establishment and approached an employee at the listed location. The suspect brandished a hammer and demanded the employee open the cash register. The employee complied and the suspect took money from the register then fled the scene. The suspect was captured by nearby surveillance cameras and can be seen in the photos below and in this video: https://youtu.be/qPofscv6BOo.”
On the social media app Nextdoor, MPD’s Second District Watch Commander reported a robbery on the 3200 block of Prospect St. NW, August 31 at “approximately 10:45 p.m.,” wherein “a complainant was approached by a suspect wearing a black mask and dark clothing.” The suspect “pushed the complainant to the ground and stole personal property,” then “fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction.”
Score of Shootings over Labor Day Weekend
From Friday, September 1 through Monday Sept 4, the long Labor Day weekend saw seven shooting homicides in the District, according to MPD. The shootings took place in the 900 block of Wahler Place SE and outside the Kennedy Recreation Center in the Shaw neighborhood of Northwest Washington. According to the Washington Post, the victims in the two shootings included an 18-year-old man, “two women ages 18 and 19,” and a “15-year-old boy.”
“As of Friday, homicides in the District are up 26 percent, compared with this same time last year, according to police statistics,” the Post reported.
“Killings in the city surged at the beginning of August, with 16 people killed in the first six days of the month. The pace slowed but has ticked up at the start of September, with seven killed in the first four days.”
Targeted Youth Curfew Launched for Juveniles 16 Years-Old and Younger
In a press conference in the old council chambers of the Marion S. Barry Jr. Building in Northwest, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Thursday gave an 11:00 a.m. update on crime prevention, including recent policy changes and initiatives, alongside the city administrators and D.C. Police Acting Chief Pamela Smith, according to News7.
Chief Smith gave an “update on an officer shortage with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)” and announced a pilot initiative to further incentive MPD employees to refer more people to the agency. Starting Thursday, any employee who refers another candidate will be eligible to receive a $5,000 referral bonus for officers and a $2,000 bonus for new cadets onboarded to the department.” MPD currently has 3228 total officers and is offering a $25,000 signing bonus plus other incentives to attract more officers to the force.
At the press conference, “leaders also discussed implementing a Juvenile Curfew Enforcement pilot program,” 7News reported. “Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Lindsey Appiah said juveniles 16-years-old and under — seen outside curfew hours — will be picked up by MPD officers and will be taken to the Department of Youth and Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) where they will be connected with their families. The curfew will run from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Sunday through Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, the curfew will be from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m.”
Here are the selected areas for youth curfew enforcement:
- Chinatown and Navy Yard
- the area along the U Street entertainment strip
- areas near Howard University
- 14th Street between Otis Place
- Spring Road NW in Columbia Heights
- the 4000 block of Georgia Avenue NW
- the 4400 through 4600 blocks of Benning Road SE
- the 1300 block of Congress Street SE
“Our goal is to make sure they’re safe and our community is safe,” said Appiah. In total, crime is up 37 percent and more than 3,300 crimes have been reported this year, according to MPD.
MPD’s Crime Statistics Not Showing Improvement
On MPD’s website, the city’s “20-Year Homicide Trend” is curiously displayed in reverse-chronological order, giving the impression when read from left-to-right, of progress. Upon close inspection, however, it’s clear that year-to-year homicides have gotten much worse in Washington, D.C. Back in 2012, there were 88 homicides recorded, while last year’s total went to 203. This year’s 143 homicides so far (as of Sept. 5) reflect 29 percent increase over last year at this time and are well on pace to exceed last year’s total by the end of the year.
In fairness to MPD’s candor, however, their year-to-year Crime Card summaries of all crimes in the city still show the trends from January 1, 2022 to January 1, 2023 with every statistic showing a bright red upward arrow indicating worsening trends. So, from last year to this everything got worse when it came to: total crime, all violent crime, homicide, sex abuse, assault with a dangerous weapons, robbery, all property crimes, burglaries, thefts-from-autos, theft-others, motor vehicle theft and arson.
Mayor Bowser and Acting Chief Smith, however, are watching carefully to see if recent city measures to stem crime – including emergency crime legislation to allow pre-trial detention of violent youth offenders, trying more juveniles as adults, and a youth curfew in the city – will begin to take a bite out of the city’s crime crisis.
Teenage Carjacking Continues
Despite the start of school, the city-wide epidemic of teenage carjacking crimes continues across the nation’s capital. On August 30, MPD announced arrests of five “teenage carjackers” for a “string of offenses across the District.”
“Five teenagers have been arrested and charged with multiple offenses following a spree of robberies and carjackings throughout the city,” MPD said in a press release. “After a week-long investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)’s Carjacking Task Force, the teenagers were arrested after crashing the stolen car they were traveling in.”
“We want to thank the community for their support and cooperation with our detectives as they investigated this carjacking pattern,” Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith said today. “Over the past week, our detectives worked diligently over many hours to close these cases. These arrests are a testament to their dedication and professionalism.”
“On Tuesday, August 29, 2023, two victims were walking along the street when the teenage robbers approached and attempted to grab the victims’ property. The victims managed to fight off the suspects, who fled in a stolen car. MPD’s helicopter, Falcon, located the car and tracked it as it drove erratically through the city. When the car crashed, the suspects were apprehended by nearby officers.”
A 13-year-old female, a 14-year-old male, a 15-year-old male all of Northeast, DC, and a 13-year-old female and a 16-year-old male of Southeast, DC, were arrested and charged with the following offenses in relation to this incident.
- Assault with Intent to Rob: On Tuesday, August 29, 2023, at approximately 5:40 p.m., in the 700 block of 12th Street, NE.
- Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle: On Tuesday, August 29, 2023, at approximately 6:09 p.m., in the 1400 block of 18th Street, SE.
In addition, the 13-year-old female of Northeast, D.C., was also charged with:
- Theft One (Stolen Auto): On Friday, August 25, 2023, at approximately 2:40 a.m., at the intersection of Fort Lincoln Drive and Summit Court, NE. Robbery: On Sunday, August 27, 2023, at approximately 12:45 a.m., in the 600 block of D Street, NE.
- Robbery: On Sunday, August 27, 2023, at approximately 10:42 p.m., in the 1200 block of D Street, NW.
- Unarmed Carjacking: On Monday, August 28, 2023, at approximately 4:38 p.m., in the 300 block of 13th Street, Northeast.
Other Local Crime Reports
On September 3, detectives from MPD’s Third District requested public assistance in “locating a suspect in reference to an Armed Robbery (Gun) of an Establishment offense” September 2 in the 1400 block of North Capitol Street, NW. “At approximately 4:57 p.m., the suspect entered an establishment at the listed location,” the MPD press release said. “The suspect brandished a handgun and demanded money and property from the employee. The employee complied. The suspect took money and property then fled the scene.The suspect was captured by nearby surveillance cameras and can be seen in the photos below:
On September 2, detectives from MPD’s Third District requested public assistance in “identifying and locating a suspect and a vehicle in an Assault with Intent to Commit Robbery while Armed (Gun) offense … August 26… in the 1600 block of 1st Street, NW. “At approximately 2:20 p.m., the suspect approached the victim at the listed location,” the MPD press release said. “The suspect brandished a handgun and attempted to take the victim’s property. The victim did not comply. The suspect then fled the scene without obtaining any property. No injuries were reported. The suspect and the suspect’s vehicle were captured by a nearby surveillance camera and can be seen in this video: https://youtu.be/8BkE6KCmyAk
On September 2, detectives from MPD’s Homicide Branch announced an investigation of a homicide September 1 in the 1300 block of 7th Street NW. “At approximately 11:56 p.m., members of the Third District responded to the listed location for the report of a shooting,” an MPD press release said. “Upon arrival, officers located three shooting victims, two adult females and one juvenile female. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and transported the victims to local hospitals for treatment. After all life-saving efforts failed, the two adult female victims were pronounced dead. The juvenile female victim is in critical, but stable condition. The decedents have been identified as 19-year-old Mikeya Ferguson, of Southeast, DC, and 18-year-old Cle’shai Perry, of Northwest, D.C.”
On September 2, MPD announced arrests in recent “Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and Theft One (Stolen Auto) offenses in Washington, D.C.” In Northwest D.C., these included:
- 21-year-old Ronnell Dennis, 23-year-old Kazon Cassion, and 30-year-old Pres Brady Jr, all of Northwest, DC, in the Unit block of R Street, NW.
- 28-year-old Lyndel Sistare, of Northeast, DC, in the 500 block of North Capitol Street, NW.
- 25-year-old Donnell Jordan, of Northeast, DC, in the 600 block of H Street, NW.
- 45-year-old Antonio Stokes, of no fixed address, in the 700 block of P Street, NW.
- 36-year-old Chiletia Fields, of Southeast, DC, at U Street and 12th Street, NW.
On September 2, detectives from MPD’s Homicide Branch announced an investigation of a homicide September 1 in the 100 block of Farragut Street, NW. “At approximately 11:09 p.m., members of the Fourth District responded to the listed location for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male shooting victim. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and after finding no signs consistent with life, the victim was pronounced [dead] and remained on the scene until transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The decedent has been identified as 43-year-old Richard Ruffin, III, of Silver Spring, MD.
On August 27, detectives from MPD’s Homicide Branch announced an arrest in a homicide August in the 1900 block of 14th Street, NW. “At approximately 2:10 a.m., Third District officers responded to a local hospital for the report of a juvenile female seeking treatment for stab wounds,” an MPD press release said. “ Despite all life-saving efforts, the victim succumbed to her injuries. As a result of the detectives’ investigation, it was determined that the stabbing occurred both inside and outside of an establishment at the listed location. The victim was transported to a local hospital in a privately owned vehicle. The decedent has been identified as 17-year-old Naima Liggon of Waldorf, Maryland. On August 27, a 16-year-old juvenile female of Waldorf, Maryland, was arrested and charged with Second Degree Murder while Armed. At the time of her arrest, the suspect was found to be in possession of a knife.”
On August 27, detectives from MPD’s Carjacking Task Force requested public assistance in identifying and locating suspects in “referene to an Armed Carjacking (Gun) offense” August 20 in the 400 block of Crittenden Street, NW. “At approximately 10:20 p.m., three suspects approached the victim at the listed location, “ an MPD press release said. “One of the suspects brandished a handgun and demanded the victim exit their vehicle. The victim complied and the suspects fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle. The suspects were captured by a surveillance camera and can be seen in the photos below:
On August 26, detectives from MPD’s Homicide Branch announced an investigation of a homicide August 26 in the 2000 block of 10th Street NW. “At approximately 4:06 a.m., members of the Third District responded to the listed location after hearing the sounds of gunshots,” an MPD press release said. “Upon arrival, officers located an adult male shooting victim. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and transported the victim to a local hospital, where despite all life-saving efforts, the victim succumbed to his injuries. A second adult male was located suffering from a graze wound. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services treated the victim on the scene. The decedent has been identified as 18-year-old Keni Edwards of Southeast, D.C.”
On August 25, detectives from MPD’s Second District requested public assistance in “identifying and locating a suspect in reference to a Burglary Two of an Establishment offense” August 11 in the 1700 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW. “At approximately 6:02 a.m., the suspect forcibly gained entry into an establishment at the listed location. Once inside, the suspect took property then fled the scene. The suspect was captured by a surveillance camera and can be seen in this video: https://youtu.be/JDcxE3TCrC0.”
On August 25, detectives from the MPD’s Carjacking Task Force requested public assistance in locating suspects in reference to “an Armed Carjacking (Gun) offense” August 14 in the 600 block of Massachusetts Avenue, NW. At approximately 10:04 p.m., two suspects exited a vehicle and approached the victim, who was seated in their vehicle, at the listed location,” an MPD press release said. “The suspects brandished handguns and demanded the victim to exit the vehicle. The victim complied and the suspects fled in the victim’s vehicle while the suspect vehicle also fled the scene. One of the suspects were captured by surveillance cameras and can be seen in the photos below:”
On August 24, detectives from MPD’s Homicide Branch announced an investigation of a homicide that same day in the 3600 block of 16th Street, NW. “At approximately 4:37 a.m., members of the Third District responded to the report of the sounds of gunshots. Officers located an adult male shooting victim,” an MPD press release said. “DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and after finding no signs consistent with life, the victim was pronounced and remained on the scene until transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The decedent has been identified as 27-year-old Larry Thomas, of Triangle, Virginia.
On August 22 at 5:50 p.m., detectives from MPD’s Third District requested public assistance in “identifying and locating a person of interest in reference to a Theft One Stolen Auto (Motorcycle) offense that occurred on August 10, 2023, in the 1900 block of 18th Street, NW. At approximately 5:00 a.m., the suspect took the victim’s motorcycle … and fled the scene. A person of interest was captured by a surveillance camera and can be seen in the photo below:”
On August 22 at 5:37 p.m., detectives from MPD’s Second District requested public assistance in “locating three suspects in reference to an Armed Robbery (Gun) offense July 23 in the 1100 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW.” At approximately 5:15 a.m., the suspects approached the victim at the listed location,” an MPD press release said. “The suspects brandished handguns and demanded the victim’s property. One of the suspects assaulted the victim then the suspects took the victim’s property and fled the scene. The suspects were captured by nearby surveillance cameras and can be seen in this video: https://youtu.be/YaV-6KFMNyw:”
On August 22 at 3:15 p.m., detectives from MPD’s Second District requested public assistance in “identifying and locating a suspect in reference to a Robbery (Fear) of an Establishment offense that occurred on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, in the 1600 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW. “At approximately 2:14 p.m., the suspect entered an establishment at the listed location,” an MPD press release stated. “The suspect proceeded to make a purchase. The victim opened the cash register and the suspect demanded the victim not to move. The suspect then snatched money from the cash register and fled the scene. The suspect was captured by a surveillance camera and can be seen in this video: https://youtu.be/gBfLx-WQbcU:”
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The public is invited to notify MPD with tips or information at (202) 727-9099, or on the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411. In some cases, money rewards are offered for information leading to arrest and conviction.
Editor’s disclaimer: This crime article is based on MPD reports. Suspect information presented has not necessarily been adjudicated in a court of law. A presumption of innocence applies in all cases pending a legal determination.
