The Maryland 16-year-old accused of killing Miguel Drullard in a gang fight earlier this month was ordered held Friday pending a preliminary hearing.
Christian Navarrette-Rivas, 16, is accused of intentionally striking down Miguel Drullard Jr, 22, with his vehicle, a red Jeep Liberty, on the 4400 block of 14th Street NW on Oct. 6. Navarrette-Rivas, from Riverdale, Md., is being charged as an adult. He was arrested Thursday in connection with the case.
According to court documents, the incident began around 3 p.m. on Oct. 6 in Columbia Heights, when a group of males attacked a champagne-colored vehicle stopped at a traffic light, believing the two men inside the car belonged to a rival gang. After the vehicle pulled away, the passenger in that car called Drullard to inform him of the altercation. The driver of the champagne-colored car, the passenger and Drullard, traveling in a separate vehicle, spotted the group who attacked the car in a red Jeep. Passengers in all three cars exited the vehicles and a fight ensued in Petworth, on the 4400 block of 14th Street NW.
In court documents, a witness said Drullard, who had a pit bull dog and a bat with him, approached one of the passengers that exited the Jeep and had been dropped to the ground. At that time, the witness heard the sound of tires and saw the Jeep approaching them at speed, striking the witness, the driver of the car and Drullard.
Drullard was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries a short time later.
The documents also state that all but Navarrette-Rivas had been drinking the afternoon the deadly fight took place.
“He didn’t have alcohol, he should have had a level head,” Judge Diana Harris Epps said of Navarrette-Rivas when making her ruling.
During court proceedings today, Navarrette-Rivas’ attorney, Chiquisha Robinson, argued that there were mitigating factors to show that there was not probable cause to charge her client with second-degree murder, including that he was not dangerous, there was no gun involved, and that Navarrette-Rivas has no prior record.
Robinson added that Navarrette-Rivas is young, and that court documents show a witness said Navarrette-Rivas’ expressed regret over what happened the day after the incident occurred.
U.S. Attorney J.P. Cooney argued that there was probable cause for the second-degree murder charge, saying that while there was no firearm involved, the Jeep was used in a premeditated act to strike Drullard, and that there were gang elements involved in the offense.
Navarrette-Rivas’ preliminary hearing has been set for Nov. 17 at 9:30 a.m., in front of Judge Lynn Leibovitz.
Read charging documents below.
