Two teens who were in the custody of the District’s juvenile justice agency have been slain so far this year, while four more juveniles assigned to the city’s care have been accused of homicide, the Washington Examiner has learned.
The Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services has come in for another round of intense public scrutiny since a South Capitol Street rampage on March 30 that left four young people dead and another five wounded. The accused getaway driver, 14-year-old Malik Carter, was under supervision by the youth agency for a string of crimes that started when he was 9.
One of the victims of the shootings, Tavon Nelson, 17, was under supervision, too, sources say.
Under Mayor Adrian Fenty, the youth agency focuses on therapy and getting the kids into more friendly environments than lockups.
Critics say it’s dangerous for the kids and the public.
“These incidents of callous violence are a symptom of the broken agency,” said John Walker, the union leader for youth agency employees. “It’s not fair to the residents of the District of Columbia.”
Agency spokesman Reggie Sanders wrote in an e-mail that “while even one homicide or killing of a DYRS youth is one too many,” the numbers of victims and perpetrators “represent a very small percentage of youth under DYRS care.”
About 750 youths were committed to the system in 2009, Sanders said.
Authorities say the South Capitol killings was the culmination of a cycle of revenge that started when 20-year-old Jordan Howe was killed at a party over some costume jewelry. One of his alleged killers, 19-year-old Sanquan Carter, had a long record of juvenile violence and was supposed to be in a halfway house.
In February, Joel Watkins, 15, was shot and killed. Having been in and out of custody for two years on charges ranging from theft to assault with a dangerous weapon, Watkins was at friend’s house when he was shot in the back of the head after an argument with a party-goer.
Later that month, Dominick Payne, 16, was charged along with two other teens with first-degree murder in the beating death of Carlos Alexander. Payne, too, had a long juvenile record, including a September escape from the New Beginnings Youth Development Center, the city’s $46 million jail for young offenders.
On March 4, police arrested Reginald Rogers, 18, with the January shooting death of 18-year-old Calvin Woodland. Rogers, a source with knowledge of his background said, was under youth agency supervision for gun crimes.
