A teenage girl who prosecutors said was among a group of teens involved in the deadly crash of a carjacked vehicle in October has pleaded guilty in the case.
The girl was arrested after police said members of the group, in two stolen cars, failed to navigate a traffic circle in the Brentwood section of D.C. in the early morning hours of Oct. 26.
The 15-year-old was arrested, while a 16-year-old girl died and two others ran off, according to D.C. police.
In a plea deal, the girl admitted to “unauthorized use of a vehicle” on the night of the crash, but was not charged with carjacking. She also pleaded guilty to playing a role in several violent robberies that happened earlier in the year.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld accepted the deal, and the girl will be sentenced next year, with the next hearing on the matter set to take place in January.
The judge denied a push from the girl’s attorney to allow her to be held in a less secure “shelter home,” which is a facility run by the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.
The girl’s case drew attention when, according to NBC Washington, she was sent home after being arrested on robbery charges. The carjackings and fatal crash happened just days later.
Judge still considering contempt ruling against District
Shortly after her case was wrapped up, the court heard another case in which D.C. is at risk of being held in contempt of court over a lack of space for “shelter home” beds. That case comes after the city’s failure to meet the court’s order that more beds be made available amidst a rise in crimes committed by young people.
In that case, Director of the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Sam Abed told the court that additional beds will be made available in March, now that deals have been inked with three additional independent providers.
Those deals will provide for an additional 24 beds for teens who are eligible to use them after being arrested or detained by police.
Last month, Abed told the court the city’s facility has up to 98 beds, with the addition of ten beds, and that additional staff has been hired for the facility.
Hertzfeld said the update from Abed was “progress” but wasn’t ready to take the threat of contempt off the table, instead calling for an update in early March from the city on the shelter bed situation.
