Washington, D.C

Teen girl arrested in D.C. after carjacking is sentenced for robberies

Published

2 years ago

March 14, 2024

Teen girl arrested in D.C. after carjacking is sentenced for robberies

The first victim recalled that she had just moved to the District last spring and was walking home from Children’s National Hospital, where she works, when she saw a group of girls. She said the teenagers rushed up to her, pushed her to the ground, stole her purse and ripped off her jacket.

A second woman, who was robbed around the same time, said she has post-traumatic stress disorder after a group of teen girls knocked her to the ground and stole her purse. She now carries pepper spray and an electronic stun device.

“I saw a group of girls,” she said in D.C. Superior Court. “I never thought I should have to be concerned about a group of girls.”

The women spoke at a sentencing hearing Thursday for a 15-year-old who received a three-year term in juvenile detention after pleading guilty to five robberies, car theft and assault. The girl was arrested in October in connection with a carjacking that resulted in the car-crash death of another teen girl.

Another woman, also a robbery victim, told a judge that she had surgery on her jaw as a result of being assaulted. She said her purse was stolen, and she later moved to another part of D.C. to avoid having panic attacks while walking or driving through the neighborhood where she was attacked. A fourth woman, a New York resident, testified that she was attending a work conference in D.C. and was leaving a training session when a group of girls knocked her to the ground and stole her purse.

“I am from New York and I always thought I was pretty guarded and cautious before,” she told Judge Andrea L. Hertzfeld, who ordered the 15-year-old to be held by the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services until her 18th birthday.

Police said the girls were part of a group that carried out several robberies in 2023 that culminated with the car crash that resulted in the death of Kendra Outlaw, 16. Authorities say Outlaw was driving a carjacked Honda Pilot at a high speed when it struck a utility pole at Brentwood Road and Bryant Street NE shortly before 2 a.m. on Oct. 26. The girl who was sentenced Thursday had been a passenger in a carjacked Toyota Camry that was speeding with the Honda.

The Washington Post, which generally does not identify people charged with crimes as juveniles, was allowed to watch the sentencing on the condition that the name of the teen not be disclosed.

Prosecutors said that before the deadly carjacking, the 15-year-old girl was also involved in five street robberies in April and September in which female victims were assaulted by a group of girls who stole purses and other items. She pleaded guilty in those cases. Prosecutors from the D.C. attorney general’s office allowed the teen to plead guilty to a lesser offense of unauthorized use of a vehicle in connection with the Oct. 26 carjacking.

The deadly crash and subsequent arrest became the focus of a rift among D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), judges in Superior Court and youth officials in the city. After the incident, Bowser criticized judges and youth officials, erroneously saying publicly that the teen had six or seven previous arrests for carjacking so she should have been in secure detention and not allowed to return home. That description of the girl’s background was untrue.

At the hearing, the soft-spoken teen read a letter of apology to the victims, her parents and Judge Hertzfeld, who had been a focus of the mayor’s ire.

“I am sorry for what I did to you all. I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me,” the girl said. “I was influenced by people I was hanging with.”

The teen later told the judge she wants to attend college and eventually law school and become a defense attorney.

Her lawyer Khadijah Ali said the girl was “influenced” by older teens. She asked the judge to place her client on probation so she could obtain psychological and emotional counseling from various agencies that the teen’s parents had identified.

Ali also said her client was still grieving Outlaw’s death.

“She blames herself for what happened, even though they were in different vehicles. She feels that what happened was her fault,” Ali said. “She’s a sweet girl who was influenced by others and followed other people, which is what many teenagers do.”

Prosecutors argued that the teen should be incarcerated while also undergoing counseling.

“They chose harm over community,” prosecutor Julia Rupert said. “This array of assaultive conduct on residents and victims is concerning.”

Hertzfeld advised the teen that if Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services officials determine that she has been rehabilitated before her 18th birthday, the agency could order her released.

“This case is a tragedy all around,” Hertzfeld said before ordering the teen held in secure detention and to undergo psychological and emotional counseling. “There is a lot of work that has to be done. But nobody is only the mistake they made. … I have faith in you.”

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Washington, D.C

Storm Team4 Forecast: Thick fog to clear before storms, rain Thursday night

Published

13 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Storm Team4 Forecast: Thick fog to clear before storms, rain Thursday night

4 things to know about the weather:

Grab the umbrella
Big temperature ranges
Thunder possible Thursday night
Warmer days on the way

Heads up commuters! For Thursday morning, there will be some thick fog in spots with some rain possible, especially around the Mason-Dixon line. The fog should clear out by 10 a.m.

Throughout the day, some sunshine should develop with highs warming into the low 60s. Those in Northern Maryland could see some showers throughout the day but those near the D.C. area will stay relatively dry except for a stray shower or two.

Some rain and evening storms by 8 p.m. will impact the area Thursday night. Although it’s a bit unusual for this time of year, don’t be surprised if you hear thunder Thursday evening.

Warmer temperatures coming this weekend

These next few days will come with some major forecast challenges.

Much, much warmer air is just to our south and cold, high pressure is moving into New England. The front separating the 40s from the 70s will be laying right across our region for the next two to three days.

So keep in mind, when you’re looking at the forecast highs in the text below, that it will be warmest in Fredericksburg, VA and coolest in northern Maryland.

Friday’s weather will be similar as a front system remains just over the area, separating chilly air to the north and warmer air to the south. There might be a stray shower or two, too.

For the weekend, Saturday looks to be the warmer of the two days with highs in the low to mid 70s. Some rain overnight Saturday will lead to cooler temperatures on Sunday.

Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.

QuickCast

THURSDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Stray Shower Possible
Big Temperature Range
Wind: Southeast 5 mph
Chance of Rain: 40%
HIGHS: 62° to 72°

THURSDAY NIGHT:
Cloudy And Chilly
Rain Likely
Some Thunder Possible
Wind: Northeast 5 mph
Chance Of Rain: 70%
LOWS: 44° to 54°

FRIDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Cooler For Most
Isolated Shower Or Two
Wind: East 5-15 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 52° to 68°

SATURDAY:
Partly Sunny
Breezy And Warmer
Isolated Shower
Wind: Southwest 10-20 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 66° to 78°

SUNDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Cooler
Few Showers Possible
Wind: Northwest 5-15 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 64° to 72°

Sunrise: 6:35 Sunset: 6:05
Average High: 53° Average Low: 36°

Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.

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Washington, D.C

Tax expert explains DC filing season amid Congress-District dispute

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Tax expert explains DC filing season amid Congress-District dispute

WASHINGTON (7News) — D.C. taxpayers may be confused by back-and-forth between the D.C. City Council and Congress over taxprovision. The city’s financial officer sent a letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, that said the District’s tax laws will not change, despite recent actions by Congress.

7News spoke to director of Tax Policy at the Center for American Progress Corey Husak to explain the complicated tax policy.

“The short answer is, nothing changes. Filing Season can continue as it has been, continue as planned, and according to the laws as we understood them in January,” said Husak.

“If you’ve already filed your taxes, you don’t have to change anything. And if you want to file your taxes, the rules are still the same as they were on the books before,” said Husak.

RELATED | DC Council Chairman talks taxes, budget, bodycams, federal surge

Chief Financial Officer Glen Lee’s revenue estimate issued Friday does not include an estimated $180 million expected this fiscal year from the city’s decoupling law, “due to the uncertainty of the associated revenue as a result of Joint Resolution 142,” according to a released letter.

“The CFO was in a tough spot here. If he agreed with Congress, then businesses and overtime workers will get bigger refunds. But if he agreed with the Mayor and the Attorney General, then families with children and lower income workers would get bigger tax cuts,” said Husak.

SEE MORE | Development of new Commanders stadium scrutinized at DC oversight hearing

“We as District residents can’t control, you know what happens in the courts, what happens in, you know, what Congress does in the future,” said Husak. “But for now, the CFO has said, you know this is, this is a law as it stands, and the law that I’m going to enforce so, you know, file your legally obligated taxes, and maybe in the future, there’ll be a surprise.”

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW

7News spoke to director of Tax Policy at the Center for American Progress Corey Husak to explain the complicated tax policy (7News).{ }

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Washington, D.C

CHERRY BLOSSOM COUNTDOWN: Peak Bloom prediction drops Thursday

Published

2 days ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

CHERRY BLOSSOM COUNTDOWN: Peak Bloom prediction drops Thursday

WASHINGTON (7News) — The nation’s capital is just about ready to be transformed into a breathtaking pastel landscape of cherry trees in bloom. The famed blossoms around the Tidal Basin are not only a symbol of spring’s arrival, but also of a long-standing friendship — a gift of more than 3,000 trees from Tokyo, Japan, to the United States in 1912.

So what is considered “Peak Bloom”?

The National Park Service (NPS) defines peak bloom as the time when at least 70% of the Yoshino cherry trees around the Tidal Basin have opened their blossoms. This is the period when the blossoms appear most full and spectacular and most ideal for photos, and soaking up spring’s beauty here in DC.

Because cherry trees respond to the cumulative effects of winter and spring weather, especially daily temperatures, it’s very difficult to predict peak bloom more than about 10 days in advance. Warm spells accelerate blooming; cold snaps slow it down.

Average Timing — What History Shows

Since 1921 overall, national data indicate peak bloom typically fell around early April (April 4), based on historical averages.

Average date peak bloom – cherry blossom trees Washington DC Tidal Basin

Since 1990, the average has kept shifting earlier and earlier. In fact, the last 6 years our peak has occurred in late March.

These shifts reflect how warmer springs have nudged peak bloom earlier over the decades.

Earliest & Latest Blooms on Record

Earliest peak bloom: March 15 — recorded in 1990.

Latest peak bloom: April 18 — recorded in 1958.

Of course, most years fall between those dates, with the last week of March to the first week of April historically being the most consistent window for peak bloom.

Earliest Peak Bloom Washington DC

Recent peak blooms show how variable and climate-dependent the timing can be:

2025: The National Park Service predicted peak bloom between March 28–31 (and confirmed the official peak around March 28).

2024: Peak bloom arrived very early, on March 17, several days ahead of NPS projections — tied for one of the earliest peaks in decades.

These examples demonstrate not only how much each season can differ, but also a trend toward earlier spring blossoms in recent years.

What to Expect for Spring 2026

As of early March 2026, the cherry trees are still dormant. The buds haven’t begun significant growth yet. The weather will become more critical in the weeks leading up to the bloom will be the biggest factor in determining when peak bloom happens in 2026.

Heavy winter cold, as experienced this year, tends to delay bloom compared with recent early springs. In contrast, an early warm stretch could push peak bloom earlier — as long as it doesn’t come with subsequent frost.

Look for the green bud stage first. This is when the buds are small, tight, and green, with no sign of petals yet. Trees are still several weeks from blooming.

Tips for Cherry Blossom Visitors

Plan in the “sweet spot” — peak bloom often lasts a few days to about a week, but weather (rain, wind, heat) can shorten that window.

Visit slightly before or after the predicted peak dates for smaller crowds and extended color. Blossoms can be gorgeous even before 70% bloom or as petals begin falling.

Check NPS updates and First Alert Weather forecasts in late March for tweaked peak bloom dates.

The cherry blossoms of Washington, D.C. remain one of the most iconic harbingers of spring in the U.S., and while exact bloom dates vary year-to-year, history and natural patterns point to late March through early April as your best bet for seeing the Tidal Basin in full floral glory.

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