4 teens arrested in connection to Northeast DC armed crime spree
WASHINGTON - A victim is speaking out about the moment when she came face-to-face with a gun during a home burglary as D.C. police announce the arrests of four teens connected to a string of break-ins across Northeast.
What we know:
One 13-year-old and three 14-year-olds are in custody following an investigation into eight home burglaries that took place between September 5 and October 2. D.C. police said four break-ins occurred at unoccupied homes and another four targeted occupied homes.
In one instance, an armed suspect attempted to engage in a forced sexual act with a victim inside one of the homes, police said.
One of the victims expressed mixed emotions after learning about the arrests.
"It’s comforting, but because they’re so young, I think they’ll be out soon, and I think they’ll come back," the victim said.
According to police, not all four suspects were involved in every incident, but at least one was involved in each of the eight crimes.
The suspects operated in groups of two or three and typically entered the homes through a back entrance. They targeted car keys, vehicles, tools, cell phones and other items that could be sold for money.
In total, items were stolen in all eight burglaries, including car keys that led to four stolen vehicles, all of which have since been recovered by police.
Detectives noted unusual patterns during the crime spree, including instances where stolen items from one burglarized home were left at another, as well as one case where a suspect returned to burglarize the same victim a second time.
"So it's very concerning," Interim Chief Carroll said regarding the age of the suspects. "Obviously, the role of community members, adults and the family... mentorship to these young people is very important."
The four juvenile suspects were arrested Monday. Detectives linked the group to the crimes through video footage, quick assistance from community members, and recovered stolen property.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).