A 13-year-old boy in Washington, D.C., has been arrested in connection to nearly a dozen different crimes involving armed robberies and carjackings, police announced Thursday.
The teenager, who was not publicly identified, faces charges of theft, armed carjacking, and robbery for 11 incidents that occurred throughout March and April, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. In one incident, the teenager is accused of hitting a woman in the back of her head with a hammer while carrying out an armed robbery.
The boy allegedly committed up to three crimes in one day on at least two occasions. He is accused of committing auto theft, armed robbery, and unarmed carjacking on the same day in late March while also carrying out auto theft, assault with a dangerous weapon, and armed carjacking all on Tuesday, according to police records.
DC MAYOR UNVEILS PLAN TO REACH 4,000 POLICE OFFICERS OVER NEXT DECADE
The city government is coming to grips with the rising crime rate in the area, with Mayor Muriel Bowser using it as a focal point in her reelection bid before the mayoral Democratic primary in June.
Bowser unveiled her $30 million plan to expand police ranks and reach 4,000 sworn officers over the next decade, marking a sharp reversal from the district’s stance of defunding the police during social justice protests in 2020.
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Carjackings in the district have been rising over the last year, with the MPD reporting a 47% increase compared to 2021, Assistant Chief Morgan Kane told reporters last week. Of the 132 carjackings in Washington, D.C., last year, 85 were committed by someone under the age of 18, officials said.
