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.
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.”
