WASHINGTON — Two teenagers and a 12-year-old were arrested Saturday evening after allegedly carjacking a ride share driver near Eastern Market.
According to DC Police, one of the juveniles entered a ride share vehicle in the 300 block of 9th Street SE, just two blocks northeast of the Eastern Market Metro Station. Once inside the vehicle, police say, the juvenile assaulted the driver and ordered them to get out of the car. Two other juveniles then jumped into the vehicle and fled the scene.
The vehicle was later located in the 1600 block of 28th Street SE, in Ward 8’s Randle Highlands neighborhood. Police said four suspects were spotted walking away from the vehicle and fled when they saw police. Three of them were apprehended and placed under arrest.
The juveniles – a 15-year-old boy, 14-year-old boy and 12-year-old boy – were preliminarily charged with unarmed carjacking.
The arrests come as D.C. continues seeing a dramatic spike in carjacking offenses. As of Saturday, DC Police data shows there have been 856 carjackings in the city since Jan. 1 of this year. That’s more than twice the number of carjackings at this point last year. Nearly 75% of carjackings this year have involved a firearm, and 65% of suspects arrested in connection with carjackings have been juveniles.
Last month, 13-year-old Vernard Toney, Jr., of Southeast, was shot and killed while allegedly attempting to carjack and off-duty federal security officer near Judiciary Square. His alleged accomplice, a 12-year-old boy, was arrested on Halloween and charged with armed carjacking.