A plea bargain was being negotiated on Tuesday for two girls, ages 13 and 15, who were charged with murder after they allegedly carjacked a man in D.C. last month, used a stun gun against him and caused his car to flip.
The suspects, a 13-year-old from Southeast D.C. and a 15-year-old from Fort Washington, Maryland, may be charged with second-degree murder while armed in the death of Mohammad Anwar, attorneys said in court. Anward was 66 and lived in Springfield, Virginia.
The girls, whose names were not released, were initially charged with felony murder while armed, second-degree murder while armed, robbery while armed, aggravated reckless driving with bodily harm and possession of a destructive device. It wasn't immediately clear what punishment the juveniles could face.
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Attorneys for both girls declined to comment, previously entered a plea of “not involved” and requested their release.
Anwar was in a gray sedan the afternoon of March 23, about a block north of Nationals Park, in the 1200 block of Van Street SE, when the the girls assaulted him using a stun gun and tried to steal his car, police said. It’s unclear what happened inside the car.
A witness to the carjacking told News4 the victim struggled with the girls.
Anwar's car then crashed and flipped onto its side on N Street SE. Video footage shows the damaged car balanced on its side.
Police arrived at about 4:30 p.m. and found the victim injured on the sidewalk. Medics took him to a hospital, where he died.
Cellphone video taken by a witness high above N Street shows the immediate aftermath of the crash. Anwar can be seen on the sidewalk. Two National Guard troops who were in the area pulled the two girls out of the flipped car as the car's wheels spun.
The girls were detained on the scene.
News4 was first to report on the crime, one of a number of recent carjackings by young people.
Anwar was a father and grandfather with loved ones in the U.S. and Pakistan, his family said. He was working as an Uber Eats driver at the time of the crime.
“He was a hardworking immigrant who came to the U.S. in 2014 to build a better life for himself and his family. The loss for his family is immeasurable,” they said in a statement that called the crime "senseless."
The suspects are due in court again May 11.
