Mom turns in 12-year-old son suspected of trying to carjack federal security officer; male, 13, fatally shot in failed heist



A mother turned in her 12-year-old son who's suspected of trying to carjack a federal security officer in Washington, D.C., over the weekend.

The officer — who was waiting for his shift to start Saturday night prior to the failed heist — fatally shot a 13-year-old male who allegedly was the 12-year-old suspect's accomplice.

What are the details?

The mother contacted authorities Tuesday after seeing an image D.C. police released showing a person of interest wanted for fleeing the scene of the crime, WTTG-TV reported.

The station learned during a Wednesday juvenile court hearing that the 12-year-old male was arrested the day before.

A D.C. police detective who's also a carjacking task force member testified at the proceeding that surveillance video captured two youths approaching the off-duty officer's vehicle from behind while the officer was sitting inside the vehicle and looking at his phone, WTTG reported.

The detective added to the judge that video also shows the pair appearing to have a conversation before they both placed their right hands over their waistbands and continued toward the off-duty officer’s vehicle, the station said.

The detective said the 13-year-old male was walking closest to the curb, opened the passenger-side door, and entered the vehicle from the curb, WTTG said.

The off-duty officer identified the 12-year-old male as the suspect who walked around the front of the vehicle and opened the driver-side door with his hand still on his waistband, allegedly saying, "Get the [expletive] out. You know what this is," the station said.

WTTG said the officer exited his vehicle and then opened fire. The 13-year-old male was shot in the chest, the Washington Post said, citing a police report.

A video report from WTTG said both teens began to run, but the teen who was shot fell to the ground. Officers found a wounded juvenile male at the scene, WTTG said in a separate story about the failed carjacking, adding that he was taken to a hospital, where he died. The WTTG video report said no gun was found on the fatally shot teen.

Police identified the deceased juvenile as Vernard Toney Jr. of southeast Washington, the Post said.

'A smart and talented student' — with a long rap sheet

The principal of Toney's middle school wrote that "Vernard was a smart and talented student who created personal relationships not only with his schoolmates but also with many of the staff here at Kelly Miller. He had a natural comedic ability and loved to make people laugh. ... Vernard also loved to play basketball and spend his free time on the court with his friends," WTTG reported.

Toney also had nine carjacking and robbery charges under his belt at the time of Saturday's failed heist, the Post reported in a separate story, citing two officials familiar with the youth’s history.

The paper, citing documents it reviewed, said prosecutors in August dismissed some of the charges against Toney, but he was awaiting prosecution for others. He was charged in May in connection with a string of carjackings, robberies, and assaults over five weeks in southeast D.C., the paper said. A juvenile court judge that month ordered the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to hold Toney — who was 12 at the time — saying he should undergo psychological and educational evaluations.

'A really, really poor report'

As for the 12-year-old suspect, the hearing on Wednesday apparently was his first interaction with the D.C. court system, WTTG reported — although it was noted that he has serious behavioral issues and allegedly has dealt with anger since the age of 5.

The court also was told he started smoking marijuana at age 11, the station said, adding that he allegedly said after getting arrested that he hangs around negative peers and knows where to get a gun.

The magistrate judge who reviewed his history noted that "this is a really, really poor report," WTTG said.

More from the station:

It was revealed in court that the 12-year-old's mother has tried to get her son help, and even contacted a local hospital to work with her son in an effort not to lose him to D.C.’s streets.

The 12-year-old's defense attorney told the court his mother is a very good mother because she recognized her son’s needs.

At the beginning of the juvenile hearing, the 12-year-old gave his age as "13" – only for another official to later correct the record, saying the youth is actually 12, despite what he said.

"Wow," was the judge’s response. It’s not clear why the youth gave an incorrect age.

An assistant attorney general argued that the 12-year-old suspect should be held on the charge of attempting carjacking, saying that even a carjacking threat constitutes an armed carjacking charge, WTTG reported.

The judge said she didn't find substantial probability for an armed carjacking charge but did find enough for charge of carjacking, the station said.

Police haven't connected any guns to the two youths suspected in the attempted carjacking, WTTG added.

The 12-year-old suspect was ordered held at the city’s secure juvenile facility at least until Monday, when he's due for another appearance, the station said.

12-year-old faces judge for fatal DC carjacking attempt after mom turns him in youtu.be

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13-year-old pays with his life after picking wrong victim to allegedly carjack — an armed federal security officer waiting for his shift to start



A 13-year-old male was fatally shot over the weekend in Washington, D.C., after picking the wrong victim to allegedly carjack — an armed federal security officer who was waiting for his shift to start.

What are the details?

The officer was sitting in his personal vehicle in the 600 block of D Street NW, near the D.C. Superior Court building, when two youths approached him shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday and demanded his vehicle, the Washington Post reported, citing D.C. police.

The officer told investigators the pair ordered him out of his vehicle and that one “had his hand in his front waistband pocket as if he had a handgun,” the Post said, citing a police report.

As the officer exited his vehicle, police said he told investigators “he produced a handgun and shot one of the suspects," the paper reported.

The youth was shot once in the chest, the Post said, citing the police report.

A video report from WTTG-TV said both teens began to run toward 7th Street, but the teen who was shot fell to the ground.

Officers found a wounded juvenile male at the scene, WTTG-TV said in a story about the failed carjacking, adding that he was taken to a hospital, where he died. The first WTTG video report said no gun was found on the fatally shot teen.

A second video report below from the station indicated police said the teen who allegedly had his hand in his pocket was the suspect who ran off. The first WTTG video report said the teen who ran off is still on the loose, and there's a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.

Police identified the deceased juvenile as Vernard Toney Jr. of southeast Washington, the Post said, adding that a woman who identified herself as his grandmother declined to comment after being reached by phone Sunday.

The officer has been identified as William Reynolds, WTTG reported.

Police indicated they have the officer's legally owned gun, the Post said, adding that the officer hasn't been arrested and is cooperating with the investigation. Police are reviewing video from security cameras, the paper added.

More from the Post:

The shooting comes amid heightened concern over carjackings, which had soared 108 percent in the District this year, compared with the same period in 2022. As of Friday, police said there have been 821 carjackings in the city since January. Carjackings involving juveniles are also up this year.

In an incident last week, D.C. police said a 16-year-old girl driving a carjacked vehicle crashed into a utility pole in Northeast Washington and was killed. Police arrested a 15-year-old girl who police say was involved in the carjacking. The teen was previously in the custody of the city’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services because of robbery and theft charges, but the judge said she ordered the teen released because the agency had no available housing for her.

Violent crime in D.C. is up 41 percent this year, compared with this period in 2022, according to police statistics. Capital One Arena is several blocks north of where the youth was killed Saturday night, and the Washington Wizards played a home game there that started about three hours before the shooting. The area around 6th and D streets also includes the D.C. Court of Appeals and the D.C. police department’s headquarters.

13-year-old fatally shot by off-duty officer in attempted carjacking youtu.be

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