A 12-year-old boy charged with armed carjacking was arrested after his mother reported him to the D.C. police following an image being shared by authorities. The child’s mother and authorities linked him to the crime through articles of clothing found in his room matching those in the surveillance photo, depicting the juvenile running from the scene.
Surveillance footage indicates the two boys approached an off-duty federal security officer’s vehicle from behind with their hands on their waistbands, threatening the officer before opening the vehicle’s doors. The boy’s alleged companion, 13-year-old Vernard Toney Jr., was shot and killed by the driver D.C. police believe the two had targeted.
The incident, described by a magistrate judge as a “really, really poor report,” marks the 12-year-old’s first interaction with the D.C. court system.
It was revealed in court that the boy has been dealing with serious behavioral and anger issues, and has expressed knowledge of where to obtain firearms. The 12-year-old was ordered to be held at the city’s secured juvenile facility until a subsequent appearance scheduled for Monday.
The United States capitol has seen carjackings become endemic over the past several years, with the total number of recorded incidents expected to reach 1,000 by the end of the year.