WASHINGTON — A man who fired a shot in a D.C. Metro station will spend five years in jail.
Twenty-three-year-old Cesar Morales, of D.C., was found guilty in January of assault, possession and other related firearm offenses for an incident that happened on Aug. 25, 2017.
Morales chased the victim to the Columbia Heights Metro station in Northwest D.C. When they reached the top of the escalators in the west entrance, Morales fired a shot toward the victim, who escaped into the station unharmed.
At the time of the shooting around 12:20 p.m., there were dozens of people in and around the station, a United States Attorney’s Office news release said.
Morales fled and D.C. police nearby attempted to stop him and another person. Police asked to see Morales’ hand, he reached in his waistband and fled from the officers, who observed him toss a gun. Police retrieved the weapon and also recovered a shell casing from the Metro stairs that matched the gun.
Morales has distinctive tattoos on his face and neck and Metro Police put out a photo of the subject. His markings were distinctive enough that residents saw him walking around the Veirs Mill Road area, immediately recognized him for being wanted and called police, Officer Rick Goodale with Montgomery County police told WTOP.
He was a wanted fugitive for six days before Montgomery County investigators caught up with him on Aug. 31, 2017.
Following his prison term, Morales will be on supervised release for five years.
