13-Year-Old Arrested After Armed D.C. Carjacking

A 13-year-old boy from Southeast Washington was arrested early Wednesday after police say he and another suspect carjacked a driver in Northeast, fled in the victim’s car and led officers on a chase that ended near the Oxon Run trail. During a later search of nearby woods, an officer fired on a person seen coming out of the tree line; police said no one was hit.

The carjacking was reported around 1:20 a.m. in the 700 block of 19th Street NE, where two suspects approached a motorist and one, according to police, pointed a rifle and demanded the driver’s keys before taking off in the victim’s gray 2026 Honda Civic, according to FOX 5 DC. Officers issued a citywide lookout, then later spotted the stolen Civic on Valley Avenue in Southeast. The driver took off instead of stopping, and the pursuit ended at 2nd Street and Xenia Street. Around 2:13 a.m., officers arrested a juvenile near where the car had come to a stop. Police said a 13-year-old from Southeast D.C. was charged with armed carjacking, reckless driving and fleeing from a law enforcement officer, and that a second suspect remains at large.

Officer fired during search

As officers fanned out to search the tree line in the 4000 block of Livingston Road shortly after 2 a.m., they spotted someone emerge from the woods. As FOX 5 DC quotes police, the person "raised a rifle toward the officer," prompting the officer, who was still inside his cruiser, to fire. The individual ran back into the woods, and police reported no injuries or property damage. Under department policy, the officer has been placed on administrative leave while the shooting is reviewed.

Investigation underway

Agents with the Metropolitan Police Department's Internal Affairs Bureau Force Investigations Team are leading the internal probe, and the U.S. Attorney's Office will conduct an independent review, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. That unit typically looks into all officer-involved shootings, and MPD policy calls for involved officers to be placed on administrative leave while those inquiries play out.

Legal context

Armed carjacking carries serious time in the District. The D.C. Sentencing Commission notes a 15-year mandatory minimum for adult armed carjacking convictions, although juvenile cases go through a different process and may be handled in family court or transferred under Title 16 in some situations. The commission's recent "Carjacking Fast Fact" also highlights that carjacking defendants tend to be younger, a trend that has influenced how prosecutors and judges approach these cases.

Police asked anyone with information to call the department tip line at (202) 727‑9099 or text 50411. The Metropolitan Police Department says a reward of up to $10,000 may be available for information that leads to an arrest and conviction. The case remains under active investigation, and officials say they expect to release additional details as the Force Investigations Team and the U.S. Attorney’s Office complete their reviews.