Boy, 12, turned in to DC cops by his own mother after alleged carjacking of off-duty cop leaves friend, 13, dead

A Washington, DC mom turned in her 12-year-old son to authorities after recognizing a picture of him being shared by police as the person of interest for fleeing the scene of a fatal attempted carjacking of an off-duty federal officer last week.

His alleged accomplice, 13-year-old Vernard Toney Jr. was shot and killed by the off-duty officer that investigators believe was targeted by the pair, according to the Daily Mail.

On Wednesday afternoon, during a juvenile court proceeding, it was revealed that the 12-year-old fleeing the attempted carjacking had been arrested the previous day.
 
On October 31, his mother called DC police after seeing the suspect’s picture being shared by authorities.

Clothing found by law enforcement in the boy’s room connected him to the fatal attempted carjacking.

According to DC police, the attempted carjacking occurred on Oct. 28 after 10 pm on the 600 block of D St. Northwest, outside the US Attorney’s Office.

Fox 5 reported from the courtroom that a DC detective told the presiding judge that surveillance video showed the two youths having a conversation and then walking towards an off-duty officer’s vehicle.

The 13-year-old then opened the passenger-side door of the officer’s vehicle and entered from the curbside.

The detective identified the 12-year-old as the suspect who walked around the front of the vehicle with his hand in his waistband, opened the driver-side door and allegedly said, "Get the [expletive] out. You know what this is.”

Though this is his first time in the DC court system, the boy has had behavioral issues since the age of 5 and started smoking marijuana at 11 years old. 

Despite his mother attempting to get the boy help, and even contacting a local hospital to work with her son in an effort not to lose him to DC’s streets, the efforts failed.

According to the outlet, after discovering the boy’s age the judge replied, "Wow."

An assistant attorney general requested for the 12-year-old to be held on the charge of attempting carjacking but because police have yet to connect any firearms to the two kids, the judge said she didn’t find substantial probability for the charge of Armed Carjacking but did find enough for the charge of Carjacking. 

The 12-year-old is being held at the city’s secured juvenile facility until at least his next court appearance on Monday.

DC carjackings have soared in the past few years as has the number of juvenile offenders committing the crimes.