update 7/6/2021 3:06 PM
The 14-year-old girl who pled guilty to the second-degree murder of an UberEats driver has been sentenced to seven years in a youth facility — the maximum sentence allowed.
The unnamed teen was just 13 when her botched carjacking attempt in Washington left 66-year-old grandfather Mohammad Anwar dead.
The older girl who was also involved was handed the same sentence last month; since they were both charged as juveniles, they must both be released by their respective 21st birthdays.
D.C. law allows for 15-year-olds to be charged as adults for the most serious of crimes; however there is no provision for charging a 13-year-old as an adult — even in murder cases.
According to prosecutors, the 14-year-old showed no remorse at the time of her arrest, allegedly muttering to herself "If you gave me my f--king phone, the jacks would have still been alive, but no, you want to put my damn phone in your pocket," WUSA9 reported.
"When Mr. Anwar called out for help and bystanders came, she chose to lie about whose car it was," the prosecutor said. "[She] chose to grab the steering wheel, chose to put the car in gear, chose to repeatedly tell [the other girl] to go."
At sentencing she told the court she was sorry, but the outlet reported the rest of her statement was hard to hear or understand.
Prosecutors had agreed to drop the armed carjacking and other charges against the 14-year-old in return for her guilty plea.
However she is also currently awaiting sentencing for stealing two other cars in a separate case.
Nevertheless, her lawyer had asked for her to be released at 18, claiming she was now more thoughtful about her actions, and was a "model detainee."
update 5/12/2021 7:27 AM
The 15-year-old girl has plead guilty to felony murder in a plea deal that will see all other charges against her dropped.
In return, the D.C. attorney general's office has agreed to dismiss the armed carjacking, robbery, and aggravated reckless driving charges, according to the Washington Post.
She will be sentenced on June 4. The teen can only be held in a juvenile detention facility until she is 21, at which point she must be released; meaning she will only spend a maximum of six year behind bars for her crime.
She could also be released much sooner if authorities deem her rehabilitated.
The case of the 13-year-old girl charged in the same attack remains unresolved.
Because of their ages, neither girl has been identified, and court hearings have been closed to the public.
The family of victim Mohammad Anwar say they cannot comment until the 13-year-old's case is resolved.
original story 3/25/2021 10:15 AM
Two teenage girls face felony murder charges after an Uber Eats driver was killed in a botched carjacking attempt.
Mohammad Anwar, 66, was making a food delivery around 4 PM near Nationals Park in Southeast D.C. on Tuesday, when he was attacked by the 13 and 15-year-old armed with a stun gun, police said.
Witnesses said the grandfather struggled with the girls inside the car before it crashed, flipping it onto its side.
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View StoryVideo footage obtained by NBC4 show the immediate aftermath: two National Guard troops who just happened to be nearby rush to the scene and pull the two girls from the back of the car, its wheels still spinning.
Anwar, who was thrown from the vehicle, could be seen lying on the pavement nearby.
He suffered several broken bones and severe head trauma; he was rushed to hospital but later died there.
The teens appeared in court on Wednesday, when prosecutors alleged they were trying to steal the Honda Accord before the fatal crash.
Prosecutors said during the struggle, Anwar became wedged between the car door and the driver's seat as the teens set the gear into drive, WUSA9 reported.
Showing witness video to the court, they claimed the car then sped down Van Street with the door open and Anwar hanging from it; the car hit something, causing the door to swing back and slam him.
Turning right down N Street SE, the car eventually smashed into two parked cars, flinging Anwar clear. At some stage during the altercation, prosecutors claim he was shot with the taser at least once.
The judge concluded the teens posed a substantial risk to persons and property, and were also flight risks; he ordered them detained until their next hearing on March 31.
Anwar leaves behind a wife, three adult children, and four grandchildren.
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View StoryAccording to a GoFundMe, he was the financial provider for his devastated family.
"Mohammad Anwar was a hard-working Pakistani immigrant who came to the United States to create a better life for him and his family," his niece wrote. "He was simply at work yesterday evening, providing for his family, when his life was tragically taken in an appalling act of violence."
"The details are still being investigated, however we know that Anwar was working on an UberEats delivery when two assailants attempted to carjack him in Navy Yard."
"Anwar was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend who always provided a smile when you needed one. He leaves behind a family, near and far, who cherish, love, and miss him dearly."
"Words can not describe how our family is feeling currently. Devastation, confusion, shock, anger, heartache, and anguish are just a few that come to mind. We will carry him with us always, but it doesn't take the pain away of losing him so tragically and so unexpectedly soon."
The fund, which will help the family's loss of earnings as well as paying for a traditional Islamic funeral, has already raised almost $100k.
"We are devastated by this tragic news and our hearts go out to Mohammad's family during this difficult time," Uber said in a statement. "We're grateful the suspects have been arrested and thank the Metropolitan Police Department for their diligence with this investigation."