The man suspected in a series of shootings at D.C.-area military facilities has pleaded guilty in an unrelated theft case. Yonathan Melaku pleaded guilty to the grand larceny charges in Loudoun County Circuit Court on Monday and was sentenced to six months in jail. Prosecutors told the Associated Press that, because of time served since his May arrest, Melaku will likely be transferred to federal custody soon to face the shooting charges.
Melaku is accused of firing shots at the Pentagon, a Marine Corps recruiting station in Chantilly, a Coast Guard recruiting station in Woodbridge and the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
The federal case was on hold while the Loudoun charges were being resolved.
– Emily Babay
