From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.
Crime news from Dupont-Logan-U Street.
Twenty-six year old Alexis Pineda of Suitland, MD, was sentenced to 18 years in prison on March 15 for the 2011 shooting death of 24-year-old Jose Manuel Hernandez-Romero, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. The homicide occurred March 27 at about 2:30 am at El Sauce Restaurant, 1227 11th Street NW.
Pineda shot the victim, who lived in the 1400 block of N Street NW, one time in the chest and he died hours later at a local hospital. Pineda and Hernandez-Romero had not met previously and, according to witnesses, there was no altercation prior to the shooting.
According to court documents, Pineda had been drinking before he came to El Sauce and has a history of mental illness. After the shooting, other customers and employees at El Sauce held down Pineda until police arrived.
Jaime Cruz, 31, who came to the restaurant with Pineda, tried to escape the premises with the suspect and threatened to shoot the patrons holding Pineda down. Cruz was charged with obstruction of justice in the case and was sentenced to three years in prison in October.
Pineda was also sentenced to five years of supervised release, but because of a previous immigration conviction, he will be deported to El Salvador immediately after serving his prison sentence.
According to Homicide Watch D.C., Pineda pleaded guilty to a charge of second degree murder while armed in October 2012 in advance of a scheduled trial as part of a plea agreement. Pineda could have faced a sentence of up to 26 years in prison.
The incident was the one recorded homicide in Borderstan in 2011, although a second homicide occurred just south of Borderstan.
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From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.
Asefu’s Yegna Restaurant/1920DC on 9th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Asefu’s Yegna Restaurant and 1920dc, both operating under a single alcoholic beverage license at 1920 9th Street NW, had their license revoked by the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board in an order released Wednesday.
The revocation was in response to a series of infractions for serving alcohol during prohibited hours.
Temporary Shutdown
Asefu’s and 1920dc had been shut down for 96 hours by Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier late Saturday (1920dc Shut Down After Saturday Morning Homicide) in response to a homicide outside the premises early Saturday morning (Man Shot, Killed Early Saturday, 1900 Block 9th Street NW).
The liquor license revocation, however, was not related to the temporary shutdown. The ABC Board noted that the investigatory case related to the shutdown was moot as a result of the revocation order.
The ABC Board’s order found evidence that owner Asefu Alemayehu allowed the establishment to serve alcohol during unauthorized hours in a 2011 incident. On July 5, 2011, an investigator from the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) visited the premises at 3:49 am and witnessed approximately 20 customers inside drinking beer. D.C. law allows for alcohol to only be served until 2:00 am on Tuesdays.
At a hearing in the case in January 2013, the ABC Board rejected a compromise offer that would have led to a shutdown for the establishments between February 18 and February 27, payment of a $3,000 fine, and a transfer of the liquor license.
Why the License was Revoked
In Wednesday’s order, the Board said they were revoking the license under their discretionary authority and because of a legal requirement to do so. Under D.C. law, an establishment automatically loses its liquor license after four serious violations in four years. In addition to the 2011 incident, Alemayehu was convicted of violations related to serving during unauthorized hours in September 2008, May 2009, and April 2010.
The Board expressed disappointment with these repeated violations in its order, noting “by repeatedly remaining open past its Board-approved hours, the Respondent has shown she cannot comply with the law, and that she has no regard for public safety, or the quality of life of residents.” The Board voted 4-1 to accept the order with Chairperson Ruthanne Miller disagreeing on revocation as a penalty.
These violations all occurred before hip hop bar 1920dc opened in July 2012, but because of the shared liquor license, that establishment can no longer serve alcohol. A tweet from 1920dc said the bar is “officially closed due to the revocation of the liquor license.”
February 23 Homicide
In Saturday’s homicide case, 24 year old Cedric Spicer was arrested in the shooting death of 30 year old Joseph Hardin (Arrest Made in Saturday Morning 9th Street NW Homicide). Spicer made an initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court Monday and was charged with first degree murder while armed. He is being held without bond in the D.C. Jail. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for March 14.
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1920dc was temporarily closed after Saturday morning’s homicide in front of the venue on 9th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.
Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier temporarily shut down 1920dc, a hip hop bar 1920 9th Street NW, following a homicide outside the premises early Saturday morning. The shutdown went into effect late Saturday and lasts for 96 hours.
Derek Spicer, 24, was arrested and charged with first degree murder while armed in the death of Joseph Hardin, 30 (Arrest Made in Saturday Morning 9th Street Homicide). There are conflicting reports as to the events leading up to the shooting death of Hardin.
A manager of 1920dc told The Washington Post that Hardin had been in an argument in the bar earlier in the night but had left the premises. The manager said he went outside and saw a verbal dispute with Hardin and three other men. A gunman, who the manager claims had not been in the bar that evening, approached Hardin from across the street and shot him multiple times.
However, according to a report from ABC 7, both Hardin and Spicer had been in the bar and began arguing inside the premises before leaving. Based on that report, the shooting occurred about 10 to 15 minutes after both men left the bar.
According to a police report, an officer responding to the shooting saw Spicer running towards him wearing a mask. He was apprehended after dropping a handgun on the street.
Lanier has the authority to temporarily close establishments serving alcohol for up to 96 hours under the Emergency Suspension of Liquor Licenses Act of 2005. Such closures can occur when “The Chief of Police finds that continued operation of this establishment would present an imminent danger to the health, safety, and welfare of the public; that there is an additional imminent danger to the health and welfare of the public by not closing this establishment; and that there is no immediately available measure to ameliorate these findings.”
Lanier has previously used her authority under the Emergency Suspension of Liquor Licenses Act of 2005 to close Heritage India, Mood Lounge, Tabaq Bistro, Indulj and Tap & Parlour after violent incidents. All these establishments later reopened after hearings before the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
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From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.
Looking south on the 1900 block of 9th Street NW, just south of U Street. (File photo, Luis Gomez Photos)
The Metropolitan Police Department announced an arrest in a homicide in the 1900 block of 9th Street NW early Saturday morning (Man Shot, Killed Early Saturday, 1900 Block of 9th Street NW).
MPD patrol officers located the suspect nearby and arrested 24 year old Cedric Spicer of Northwest DC. Spicer is charged with first degree murder while armed. It is not clear if police are searching for additional suspects as the initial crime alert about the incident mentioned two armed suspects.
The victim, 30-year-old Joseph Hardin of Alexandria, was shot multiple times in the head just after 1 am.
When DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel arrived on the scene, Hardin was unconscious and not breathing and he was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner where he was pronounced dead.
According to some reports, the shooting occurred at 1920 9th Street NW, outside of hip hop bar 1920 DC. The investigation by MPD continues.
Homicides are rare in the Borderstan area. This was the first in 2013 and just one official homicide occurred in all of 2012 (DC Records Lowest Number of Homicides Since 1961).
Police Alerts, More Information
You can sign up for alerts through Alert DC and get alerts by e-mail, cell phone, pager or wireless PDA. When signing up, you can select alerts on crime, transportation, utility outages/issues, government closings, breaking news, DC-sponsored events and Amber Alerts. You can follow the DC Police on Twitter @DCPoliceDept.
You can get more information about crime in the Borderstan area through the MPD listservs for the Second and Third Districts on Yahoo! Groups.
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Crime news from Dupont-Logan-U Street.
A man was shot in the head and died around 1:16 am Saturday, February 23, on the 1900 block of 9th Street NW, according to DC Police. The lookout is for two men wearing ski masks and armed with guns.
The man was killed just south of U Street NW. DC Police confirmed the man’s death this morning; more details are expected today. Homicides are rare in the Dupont-Logan-U Street area.
The DC Police Alert: “SHOOTING 0116 HOURS 1900 BLOCK 9TH STREET NW LOOKOUT FOR (2) B/M’S, WEARING MASKS, AND DARK CLOTHING, BOTH ARMED WITH HANDGUNS DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT I20130083484, Sent on: 02/23 01:23”
From the DC Police Twitter feed: “3D Shooting //1900 blk 9th St NW //Adult male shot in the head unconscious not breathing /LOF (2) B/M’s wearing mask armed w guns /6559”
Police Alerts, More Information
You can sign up for alerts through Alert DC and get alerts by e-mail, cell phone, pager or wireless PDA. When signing up, you can select alerts on crime, transportation, utility outages/issues, government closings, breaking news, DC-sponsored events and Amber Alerts. You can follow the DC Police on Twitter @DCPoliceDept.
You can get more information about crime in the Borderstan area through the MPD listservs for the Second and Third Districts on Yahoo! Groups.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.
There were only 88 homicides in DC in 2008. (Borderstan file photo)
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier announced Thursday that DC officially recorded 88 homicides in 2012, the lowest total for the District since 1961. Homicide is down nearly 53 percent since 2008.
Borderstan had one official homicide in 2012. Thirty-year-old Michael Edward Jones was killed in a shooting on July 7 in the 1700 block of 7th Street NW (Saturday Night Shooting Near 7th and R Street NW Leaves 1 Dead). Joseph Peoples was arrested in the case and charged with second degree murder while armed (Arrest Made in Saturday Night Homicide on 7th Street NW). Peoples continues to be held without bond in DC Jail awaiting grand jury action. A felony status hearing is scheduled for January 11.
The stabbing death of 19-year-old Dalontray Williams in the 1500 block of 7th Street NW on January 26 was initially ruled a homicide, but was later classified as “justified by citizen” and so is not included in official police numbers (7th Street NW Homicide Classified as “Justified by Citizen”). The exact reason for the classification was not released, although police reported Williams was stabbed during a fight.
Borderstan also recorded one homicide in 2011 (although a second occurred adjacent to Borderstan’s boundaries) and five homicides occurred in Borderstan in 2010.
Overall serious crime was up about 4 percent citywide in 2012 compared to 2011, driven largely by increases in thefts. Sexual abuse cases also increased and aggravated assault incidents rose slightly. For the year, robbery numbers in 2012 were almost identical to 2011. Motor vehicle theft and burglary showed overall declines. Borderstan crime statistics will be compiled as soon as police make crime data available again (DC Police Crime Data Still Not Available Online).
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From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.
Homicide Watch D.C., the only news site in the District to provide extensive coverage of every homicide for the past two years, is in danger of temporarily shutting down. Site co-founder Laura Amico has received the prestigious Neiman-Berkman Fellowship and will be moving to Harvard University with her husband (and site co-founder) Chris Amico. As a result, for the next year, the two will need help to keep up the site’s mission to “Mark every death. Remember every victim. Follow every case.”
(Courtesy of Homicide Watch D.C.)
According to Laura Amico, there have been multiple conversations with local media organizations and universities over the past two years about partnering, but she and Chris were unable to reach an agreement with any organization, creating the potential for a shutdown.
There is some hope though. Homicide Watch D.C. is currently trying to raise $40,000 through Kickstarter to support about five paid interns to run the day-to-day operations on the site for the next year. Laura Amico would monitor and mentor the journalism students participating in this Digital Crime Beat Training Experiment.
So far, fundraising for the site has been brisk. The Kickstarter page launched Tuesday evening and by Sunday afternoon, more than 340 people had pledged a total of over $12,000 for the site. That still leaves about $28,000 to raise by September 13.
In a post on Homicide Watch D.C. and in an email on Thursday, Laura Amico expressed her thanks for the pledges that have come in so far and her hope that the site can continue:
“Together we have changed the face of crime reporting and told the world that the common news values for violent crime reporting are wrong. We have said, together, with one voice, that how people live and die here, and how those deaths are recognized, matters to every one of us.
In an effort to continue this valuable work, we are seeking to transform Homicide Watch D.C. into a student reporting lab. We need $40,000 to do it, and we hope you will help us.
I have been overwhelmed with the support we have received in the last 48 hours, both financial and emotional. I have said, time and again, that Homicide Watch D.C. is the best thing I’ve ever done. It’s also been the hardest to leave. It is my greatest hope and prayer right now that there is some way for the mission of this project to continue, because while I am leaving, the people who this project really matters to, those affected by violent crime, remain here in D.C. And I’m asking people to support this project not for me, but for them.”
On a personal note, Homicide Watch D.C.’s coverage of homicides is truly unparalleled, and the site has been an invaluable resource for my coverage of homicides in Borderstan. I encourage everyone to donate to the Kickstarter campaign.
See additional coverage on this story from Fox 5, ABC 7, the Neiman Journalism Lab, Poynter, and Journalism.co.uk.
Crime news from the Dupont-Logan-U Street area.
From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department announced that an arrest has been made in the shooting death of 30 year old Michael Edward Jones (see Saturday Night Shooting Near 7th and R NW Leaves 1 Dead). Jones was killed in the 1700 block of 7th Street NW at about 10:45 pm on Saturday, July 7.
Joseph Peoples of Northeast Washington was arrested by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force on Wednesday for the homicide. The 21-year-old was charged with second-degree murder while armed.
Crime news from the Dupont-Logan-U Street area.
From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.
Two adult males were shot at 10:45 pm Saturday night in the 1700 block of 7th Street NW, according to a post from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). One victim was killed in the shooting, according to Third District Captain Aubrey Mongal.
From an MPD press release on the shooting:
“On Saturday, July 7, 2012, at approximately 10:38 pm units from the Third District responded for the report of a shooting in the 1700 block of 7th Street, NW. Upon arrival, one adult male was unconscious and unresponsive, suffering from a gunshot wound. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services did not find signs of life on the victim, and he was pronounced dead by a member of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
A second adult male victim, suffering from a gunshot wound, was located near 7th Street and Rhode Island Avenue, NW. The second victim was transported to a local hospital where he was treated and released. The decedent is identified as “30 year-old Michael Edward Jones of Northwest, Washington, DC.”
MPD tweeted that two arrests were made in the incident. It was not clear if the two arrested will be charged in the shooting case. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call MPD at 202-727-9099.
This was the first homicide in Borderstan in 2012. In January, Dalontray Williams was stabbed to death in the 1500 block of 7th Street NW (see Homicide on 7th Street NW Thursday Night) but this was later classified as “justified by citizen” (see 7th Street NW Homicide Classified as “Justified by Citizen”).
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