A DC mom has turned her 12-year-old suspected carjacker son into police after his 13-year-old accomplice was shot dead by an off-duty cop believed to be their intended victim.
The boy, who was not identified, was processed in a juvenile court Wednesday afternoon.
Mother turned him in
His mother called the police on October 31 after seeing a photo the authorities shared of the suspect and recognizing the youngster.
Police used the 12-year-old’s clothing, including a black hoodie, light gray joggers, and Jordan sneakers with a reflective tongue to connect the boy to the crime.
‘He was a smart and talented student’
His alleged accomplice who was shot and killed is 13-year-old Vernard Toney Jr. Toney was described by his school principal as ‘a smart and talented student.’
Toney, a seventh grader, had been a suspect in a number of previous carjackings. He was arrested in May in connection with several such crimes that occurred in Southeast DC.
It isn’t clear what happened with those cases, although crime-ridden DC is notorious for recent efforts to lighten penalties for criminals in a bid to boost racial ‘equity.’
‘(Toney) was known to the Metropolitan Police Department, and it’s just unfortunate that this particular incident happened on Saturday night that caused him to no longer be here,’ said Acting Chief of Police Pamela Smith.
His principal further described his ‘natural comedic ability’ and love of making people laugh, ‘especially when he would joke that he was the principal of Kelly Miller MS. Vernard also loved to play basketball and spend his free time on the court with his friends.’
Their attempts to hijack a cop’s car
A DC police detective and carjacking task force member testified in court on Wednesday that while there was no audio, a surveillance video did capture the two boys approaching the car – which belonged to an off-duty federal security officer – from behind.
The officer was seated inside the vehicle and checking his phone before starting work.
A detective told the Juvenile court judge that the video showed the two boys seeming to have a conversation before placing their right hands on their waistbands and continuing to move toward the cop’s car.
The detective said the 13-year-old was walking close to the sidewalk and opened the passenger-side door and entered the vehicle.
The 12-year-old was identified as the suspect who walked around the front of the car, opened the driver-side door and said ‘Get the [expletive] out. You know what this is,’ according to the off-duty officer.
Black history of the 12-year-old
The officer said the juvenile held his hand in his pocket as if he had a gun, which is when the officer opened fire. Toney was shot and the other accomplice ran.
The magistrate judge said last Wednesday: ‘This is a really, really poor report,’ voicing her concerns after reviewing the 12-year-old’s history, which includes a history of serious behavioral issues, including anger management.
The court was also told he began smoking marijuana when he was 11-years-old.
Following his arrest, the juvenile reportedly said he hangs out with a rough crowd and knows where to obtain a gun.
The mother of the troubled boy said she has tried to get her son help and even contacted a local hospital to work with her son in an effort to prevent exactly this sort of event from unfolding.
The 12-year-old is being held at YSC, the city’s secured juvenile facility.
