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WASHINGTON - Three teenagers face adult charges in D.C. Superior Court following a Monday armed robbery in Southeast Washington, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Onyx Austin, 17, Pierce Arrington, 17, and Reggie Mateck, 16, made their initial court appearances on Wednesday before Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond. The trio faces charges stemming from the alleged July 6 robbery of two individuals.
What we know:
According to prosecutors, Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to the 3300 block of 7th Street Southeast after a report that one suspect placed two victims into chokeholds while another pressed a handgun into a victim's ribs and issued threats. The suspects allegedly fled with cell phones from both victims, a wallet and $1,700 taken from one victim's bank accounts.
Law enforcement later located and arrested the teenagers at the home of one of the suspects' mothers.
The arrests were carried out under the "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative, a joint law enforcement operation designed to support a presidential executive order targeting gun violence and prioritizing tougher penalties and detention for firearms violators.
What they're saying:
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro cited the case as part of a broader crackdown on juvenile crime in the District, criticizing the D.C. Council for its approach to youth offenses.
Pirro stated there would be "zero tolerance" for these crimes, asserting that the rights of victims remain paramount and that age should not allow the accused to escape consequences if proven guilty.
The Source: Information from the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.