WASHINGTON — A teenage boy has been charged with armed carjacking after a group of suspects pulled out a handgun while trying to take a car on April 5.
DC Police announced the arrest Thursday. They were called to the 1000 block of Bryant Street, Northeast on the day of the incident after, around 1 a.m., a group of suspects walked up to a victim in a car.
The group proceeded to take the victim’s things and drove off in their car. Although the car has not yet been found, on April 19, the 14-year-old was arrested and charged with armed carjacking using a gun.
Just last week, Assistant Chief Morgan Kane said that citywide robberies are up 58% and carjackings are up 47% compared to the same time last year in the District.
Asst. Chief Kane added in the last 30 days crime has spiked. They said they've seen the crimes increase the most along the U Street Corridor and in Columbia Heights.
In February, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks addressed the growing and disturbing carjacking trend in a joint news conference, alongside D.C. Police.
MPD Chief Robert Contee said his officers will be moving to the border of Prince George’s County. He said a number of carjackings start in D.C. and cross over into Prince George’s county and vice-versa.
Both Chiefs, Contee and Malik Aziz of Prince George’s County, said it’s going to take more than officers to stop these kids from stealing cars.
"Playtime is over,” Chief Contee said.
Prince George's County Police Chief Aziz echoed the statement, saying “this cannot continue.”
2021 was one of the worst years in recent history for carjackings. According to leaders, of the 132 carjackings in D.C., 85 of those arrested were under the age of 18. Across the border, 152 carjackings, 86 of them by a juvenile.
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