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Dogs attack about 2 people in DC every day. Why cases can be hard to investigate

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Dogs attack about 2 people in DC every day. Why cases can be hard to investigate


Carlizze Brashears, age 11, is on the mend. He’s back in school but, speaking only to News4, his grandmother said he still needs painful rabies shots.

He was riding a bike in an alley in Northeast D.C. when two dogs viciously attacked him.

Every day in the District, an average of two people are bitten by dogs.

Since October 2023, the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) has documented 855 cases of dogs biting people. Many of the bites are minor, but some are so vicious the owners voluntarily surrender the dogs, or the animals are seized. It’s a process investigators say comes with a lot of red tape.

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An investigation into the dogs that bit Carlizze is still open, said Kate Meghji, chief operating officer of HRA, which investigates dog attacks in D.C.

“We are following some leads but we have not located the dogs yet,” she said.

Some dog attack cases involve dogs biting their owners or going after delivery drivers and postal employees. In some cases, the attacks are random and can be difficult to investigate, she said.

“Frequently it’s a lost cause because by the time we get there, the animal may not be there, and if we cannot identify who the animal is or who the owner is, it makes it really challenging,” Meghji said.

Over the past year, 87 dogs were surrendered and euthanized. Nine were seized by investigators. Of those, four were euthanized.

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Every year on average, as many as 25 to 40 dogs are labeled dangerous, HRA said.

As of Jan. 1, 2025, all dog bite investigations in D.C. will be handled by the Brandywine Valley SPCA. HRA said it’s getting out of the business of investigating dangerous dogs in part because of the legal challenges in seizing and euthanizing those that have been deemed a threat to animals or people. The Department of Health makes the final decision.

“Between our recommendation to the District and when we get approval for euthanasia is very inconsistent,” Meghji said.

That means HRA has to care for dangerous dogs while they wait for the health department.

Three people were bitten by three dogs running loose on 13th Street SE last May. They all needed medical attention.

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“We impounded and held one of the dogs when it was caught, and the other two in the home were surrendered by the owner and humanely euthanized due to their involvement in the incident,” Meghji said.



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Suspected National Guard shooter due back in court on two new charges

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Suspected National Guard shooter due back in court on two new charges


A deadly shooting case with ties to the National Guard and the White House is heading back to court, and prosecutors have now expanded the charges.

FOX 5’s Maureen Umeh reports this is one of the District’s highest profile cases, and the man accused in the ambush is expected to appear before a judge on Thursday.

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What we know:

Prosecutors have added two new counts, and the hearing could help shape the direction of the case as it moves forward in federal court.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal is accused of opening fire on two West Virginia National Guard members near the White House the day before Thanksgiving. Prosecutors have now added two counts of assault with intent to kill, tied to the National Guard member who tackled and subdued him after the shooting.

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READ MORE: Who is Rahmanullah Lakanwal? Afghan national accused of shooting 2 National Guard in DC

Specialist Sarah Beckstrom was killed. Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe was critically injured and continues to recover.

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Lakanwal now faces first degree murder while armed, multiple assault charges, and several weapons offenses. Federal prosecutors say they are aggressively pursuing the case and note that nothing is off the table, including whether to seek the death penalty, one reason the case is now being handled at the federal level.

The indictment includes nine criminal counts. Lakanwal has pleaded not guilty to the initial charges.

READ MORE: Two new charges for alleged gunman in National Guard shooting

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The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.  

NewsWashington, D.C.Crime in the DMVTop Stories



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D.C. set to receive $200M in federal funds

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D.C. set to receive 0M in federal funds


The House and Senate appropriations committees included almost $200 million in the first draft of an upcoming appropriations bill, which, if approved by Congress, would fund D.C. programs including school choice, college tuition, HIV prevention, clean rivers and police overtime.

If approved, $90 million would reimburse the District government for the cost of providing police and other support at events like large protests, state funerals and the upcoming 250 birthday celebration of the country.

While the Bowser administration is happy with the funding, the mayor sent a letter to Congress asking for an additional $10 million to offset the added costs to D.C. taxpayers for the federal surge, writing, “This higher funding level is also essential to support the ongoing federal law enforcement surge and the associated increased costs to the Metropolitan Police Department, including MPD’s work to coordinate with federal agencies, facilitate National Guard deployments, and sustain police overtime required to support the surge.”

There is also $40 million to fund D.C. tuition assistance grants, which help offset the cost of college tuition for D.C. high school grads. If approved, the funds would allow D.C. to increase the amount students could qualify for each year from $10,000 to $15,000 and boost the lifetime cap from $50,000 to $75,000.

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“Which is a huge amount of money for families, and that’s going to help us help more of our residents on their pathway to getting degrees,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser’s chief of staff, Tomas Talamante.

Schools would benefit, too.

“We were able to get 17.5 for D.C. Public Schools and 17.5 million for D.C. public charter schools, as well as the 17.5 million that goes to the voucher program,” Talamante said. “We also were able to get money for HIV/AIDS prevention, about $4 million that we were able to secure for HIV/AIDS prevention. We were also able to secure $8 million for DC Water, which their clean rivers project is the huge tunnel-boring system that helps keep the Anacostia and our waterways clean.”

The legislation includes riders placing restrictions on recreational cannabis, and Congress could add other riders, including changes like doing away with cashless bail or photo traffic enforcement in the District.

The legislation still must go through the House Rules Committee before a full House vote.

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DC weather: Wintry mix, snow showers possible late Wednesday into Thursday

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DC weather: Wintry mix, snow showers possible late Wednesday into Thursday


A mild Tuesday is ahead for the Washington, D.C. region, with a brief chance of a wintry mix or even a few snow showers arriving late Wednesday into early Thursday.

What we know:

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Tuesday starts cold, with temperatures in the 30s, but the day stays dry and warms into the low 50s with some afternoon sunshine.

Isolated showers move in Wednesday morning and linger at times throughout the day. FOX 5’s Taylor Grenda says colder air rushing into the region Wednesday into early Thursday could briefly flip that rain to a wintry mix or some light snow showers.

Any mix is expected to be brief and minimal. Snow chances should clear by early Thursday, leaving behind cold, blustery and dry conditions for the rest of the day.

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What’s next:

Friday turns sunny but very cold, with highs only in the mid 30s. Saturday stays dry, and there’s a slight chance of snow showers returning on Sunday.

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DC weather: Wintry mix, snow showers possible late Wednesday into Thursday

The Source: Information in this article comes from the FOX 5 Weather Team and the National Weather Service. 

WeatherNewsWashington, D.C.MarylandVirginiaTop Stories
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