3 Arrested in Brutal Capitol Hill Beating

The Metropolitan Police Department arrested three people in the brutal beating of a man near Eastern Market in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, officials announced Wednesday night.

Tommy Tyrone Branch, 21, of Fort Washington, Md.; 18-year-old Michael Moore, of Landover, Md., and a juvenile male were charged with armed robbery. The juvenile, 17-year-old Sunny Kuti, was charged as an adult. All are being held without bond.

Additional charges will be brought in the beating of 29-year-old Thomas Maslin, police said.

Maslin’s wife, Abby, said her husband is aware of the arrests. She showed him a news report Thursday.

“He was pretty astounded,” she said.

Maslin was nearly beaten to death a few weeks ago. A passerby found him on the porch of a house in the 700 block of North Carolina Avenue about 8:30 a.m. Aug. 18, almost eight hours after the attack.

Maslin had left the Tune Inn at Fourth Street and Pennsylvania in Southeast about 12:30 a.m. to walk home. At 12:57 a.m., someone attempted to use his credit card at the Exxon station in the 1200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE.

About 3:30 a.m., three individuals were arrested for the alleged robbery of cellphones from three men on 18th Street. Investigators found the three cellphones as well as a black iPhone. The three suspects were charged with armed robbery but were released by a judge into a high-intensity supervision program, the Associated Press reported.

Days later, police released surveillance video showing three people in a silver Hyundai at the Exxon station where there was an attempt to use Maslin's credit card.

A tip received Sept. 21 led police to the Hyundai and its owner -- Branch. That’s when the black iPhone was examined and determined to belong to Maslin after it had been sitting in the property control division for a month, News4's Jackie Bensen reported.

Anyone with knowledge of the incident should call police at 202-727-9099 or text 50411.

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