DC police arrest nine in wave of vehicle thefts across city and nearby Maryland
Washington, DC – A string of arrests tied to stolen vehicle and unauthorized use cases swept through the District and neighboring Maryland this week, with nine individuals—including two juveniles—taken into custody in connection with recent incidents, officials announced Friday.
The arrests, made between Saturday and Thursday, stemmed from separate incidents across Southeast, Northeast, and Northwest DC, as well as surrounding Maryland communities. Charges range from Theft One (Stolen Auto) to Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle.
On Saturday, police arrested Darnell Ward, 48, of Northeast DC for stealing a vehicle from the 1600 block of T Street SE. That same day, Antwain Baum, 45, of Southeast DC and Melvin Wiggins, 42, of Palmer Park, MD were each arrested for unauthorized vehicle use in unrelated cases in Southeast and Northeast DC.
Sunday saw two more arrests: Tariq Harrison, 32, of Southeast DC was taken into custody near 7th Street NW and Rhode Island Avenue NW, while Derrick Richardson, 42, of Forrestville, MD was picked up on North Capitol Street NW.
The largest group of arrests came Thursday, including a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, both from Northeast DC, charged after an incident on Bladensburg Road NE. William Carter, 48, of Oxon Hill, MD, and Babakayode Elemo, 38, of Greenbelt, MD, were arrested separately in Southeast and Northeast DC, respectively.
Police did not release further details on the recovered vehicles or how the suspects were identified in each case.
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Key Points
- Nine individuals arrested in DC and nearby Maryland for stolen auto and unauthorized vehicle use
- Arrests span multiple neighborhoods across a six-day period
- Two juveniles among those charged in Thursday incidents