A 17-year-old was arrested Friday for the armed carjacking of a D.C. council candidate, authorities said.
The teen, who was not named, was charged with carrying a pistol without a license, unauthorized use of a vehicle and possession of an unregistered firearm. The suspect was additionally charged with robbery in relation to the offense, police said.
He is from District Heights, Maryland, police said.
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The crime happened at around 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 15 in the 4200 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE.
At-large candidate for D.C. Council, Nate Fleming, had pulled into a gas station when a group of young people, at least one armed with a gun, exited a burgundy Toyota Highlander.
“There was no one even in vision before I went into the store. As soon as I came out, the vehicle was instantly in my face, and guns were pointed in my face before I could blink an eye,” he told News4’s Jackie Bensen on Jan. 20.
Fleming handed over his keys, and the carjackers took off with his car and the Highlander.
A recent Axios article cited figures from the Metropolitan Police Department that show a 153% jump in carjackings from 2019 to 2020. From 2020 to 2021, the number rose another 18%.
In 2021, there were 49 adults and 100 juveniles arrested. There have been 37 carjackings so far this year.
“I think this is a crisis related to young people in D.C., so we need to give them opportunities: expanding the summer youth employment program to year-round, $20 million for a young adult employment program,” Fleming said. “But also do the short-term work of making sure there’s more engagement in our communities … also stronger relationships between the community and the police.”
