WASHINGTON — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is facing backlash for a tweet over the weekend that some are calling tone deaf.
The tweet, from the mayor's official Twitter account, read, "Auto theft is a crime of opportunity," and included a video of Metropolitan Police Department officers giving tips to prevent auto theft and carjackings.
The tweet has since been deleted, but it faced swift criticism online, in light of a recent carjacking that left 66-year-old Muhammad Anwar dead.
"Mayor Bowser keeps finding new lows," one user wrote. "Immigrants and citizens of DC deserve better."
Anwar was an UberEats driver and an immigrant from Pakistan. In the days since his death, two teenage girls have been arrested, charged with felony murder in connection to his death. The American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee called Anwar's death a "devastating loss" and want the incident investigated as a hate crime.
A statement from the mayor's office said the tweet was scheduled to go out before Anwar's death.
Meanwhile, D.C. and the DMV region in general has seen a spike in carjacking cases over the past few months, leading to the creation of a Carjacking Task Force, meant to crackdown on these crimes.
Earlier this month, we asked Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones why he believes young people are committing carjackings in our area.
“It is interesting that in the world of the COVID pandemic some people would say it's due to boredom, right. Some people would think that it can be connected to some video games or just the joy of it and because we do see those individuals again, not necessarily doing it for financial gain, that it seems to be some sort of a joy ride or a kick,” Jones said. “I still think it's them not understanding the seriousness of what they're actually doing and a willingness to go out and again, not only endanger the lives of others, but they're also endangering their own lives for those who really don't know how to drive.”