Maurice Felder, a 53-year-old man from Washington, D.C., has been formally charged with multiple violent offenses, including assault with intent to kill while armed. The indictment, handed down by a grand jury, stems from an incident that occurred in the early hours of November 10, 2024, which left a tourist from Pennsylvania with a life-threatening stab wound near his heart. Felder's arraignment is scheduled for Friday, where he will face charges before Judge Judith Pipe, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, as reported by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Details provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office reveal that the victim and his friends, who were visiting the nation's capital, encountered the defendant shortly after 1:00 a.m. near the corner of 7th and T Streets, N.W. An altercation ensued, with Felder allegedly following and verbally engaging the group. As the situation escalated, Felder is reported to have asked the victim, "do you want to die," before proceeding to reportedly pull out a knife to stab him in the chest. The attack nearly proved fatal, with the weapon striking just 2 centimeters from the heart of the victim. official sources note that Felder was captured close to the scene, and a knife was found in his pocket.
The case is currently being handled by the MPD, with AUSA Valerie Tsesarenko leading the prosecution for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. While Felder has been in custody since the night of the incident, it remains of essence to remember that an indictment is not an admission of guilt, and Felder retains the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
