Three ladies between the ages of 12 and 13 have been charged in reference to the beating dying of a 64-year-old man within the nation’s capital late final yr, and the youngest suspect was wounded within the leg in a mysterious capturing earlier than she was taken into custody.
The arrests come practically six months after Reggie Brown, a resident of Northwest D.C., was discovered overwhelmed to dying on Oct. 17, 2023.
Throughout a courtroom listening to final week, Detective Harry Singleton performed the disturbing video, exhibiting a person in a blue coat initially throwing Brown, a close to aged man with disabilities, to the pavement earlier than the assailants pounded the sufferer.
In keeping with the Washington Publish, one witness stated one of many ladies requested the person, “Can I combat him?”
A bunch of 5 ladies then chased Brown, into alley and as he tried to climb up a series fence, pulled him down and stomped his head into the pavement. But, that wasn’t sufficient, they pulled his pants down round his ankles, eliminated his belt and beat him with it, the Publish reported.
“He’s leaking,” one of many ladies says joyously, as Brown reportedly lay in a pool of personal blooding earlier than they walked away.
The 12-year-old recorded the beating on her cellphone, the Publish stories. One of many ladies informed police that two of them didn’t need to participate in flogging, however was pressured to after the unidentified man threatened to shoot them with a gun he flashed on his waist.
Singleton stated Brown additionally had psychological well being points, a steel plate in his head and solely two fingers on every hand, The Publish stories.
One of many 13-year-old suspects was taken into custody on March 28, whereas a second 13-year-old and 12-year-old had been apprehended the subsequent day. Not one of the suspects have a felony file however have histories of power absenteeism from faculty.
The suspects haven’t been recognized by authorities as a result of they’re underage, nevertheless, each 13-year-olds had been formally charged with second-degree homicide throughout their preliminary listening to on March 29, though they haven’t been charged as adults.
The 12-year-old woman faces costs after she was shot within the foot at her house house on Peabody Avenue final Friday earlier than her arrest.
Regulation enforcement sources didn’t instantly clarify the circumstances of the capturing, nor did they reveal who shot the adolescent woman or whether or not she was the meant goal.
It’s additionally unclear whether or not the gunfire originated contained in the woman’s residence or from exterior.
Officers famous {that a} window pane on the primary flooring of the house was shattered, whereas witnesses informed native information stations that two individuals jumped out of the damaged window and fled down an alleyway.
Not less than one of many suspects might have been carrying a masks and was wearing black, neighbors stated, based on stories.
Police later detained a number of juveniles as investigators canvassed the scene within the hours earlier than daylight, nevertheless no suspects or arrests have been introduced, whereas authorities supplied a $25,000 reward for info that results in an arrest.
The capturing befell a couple of half-mile from the place Brown was killed, and now 24 weeks after his killing, one of many major suspects was handled at a hospital for non-life-threatening accidents and later taken into custody.
In one other twist, all three ladies lived in the identical suburb of Northwest D.C. because the sufferer, however there was no indication they ever crossed paths earlier than the night time that Brown was slain, police stated.
Final yr, detectives came across Brown’s lifeless physique in the midst of the night time on close by Georgia Avenue, and he was pronounced useless on the scene from blunt drive trauma.
An post-mortem later decided Brown died on account of a murder, however no suspects emerged instantly regardless of video surveillance of the assault, which confirmed three ladies kicking and stomping the defenseless man earlier than strolling away nonchalantly.
Following final week’s listening to, the 2 13-year-old ladies had been remanded to a safe youth facility, whereas the 12-year-old woman was set to look earlier than the choose the day after she was wounded in a capturing that authorities have but to elucidate.
The Publish stories that one of many 13-year-olds sucked her thumb throughout a courtroom look and at one level fell asleep earlier than the choose woke her.
Investigators stated Brown’s attackers didn’t know him, leaving family members trying to find solutions after his likelihood encounter on a road nook resulted in violence that claimed his life.
“My uncle actually didn’t deserve this,” Brown’s niece informed News4 in Washington. “He was identified on this group for years, so for this to occur the place he lived for 64 [years] is insane. They should be held accountable.”
Relations stated Brown was a compassionate man who cared deeply about others and was at all times prepared to assist, even going as far as to provide somebody the shirt off his again.
“He was only a quiet, good well mannered individual. He didn’t trouble anyone. That’s the kind of individual he was,” a detailed household buddy informed FOX 5 in Washington.
The arrests in D.C. coincided with the same case in Philadelphia the place grownup costs had been dismissed towards two teen suspects who had been accused of beating an aged Black man to dying with visitors cones in 2022.
