A man found dead in or near a burning car in Northeast DC earlier this week has been declared the victim of homicide, though authorities are not yet releasing his identity.
MPD also announced Friday evening that two youths, one 17-year-old male and one “juvenile” female have been arrested in connection with the case and are charged with felony murder.
Police said earlier in the week that the man had been behind the wheel of a four-door Lincoln taxi Wednesday evening when the car appeared to have run off the roadway and into a fence.
An autopsy conducted Thursday showed that the man died of a gunshot wound to the head.
MPD identified the 17-year-old suspect as Joshua Terrell Mebane of Waldorf, Md. Mebane does not yet appear in DC Superior Court records.
The other suspect was identified only as a “juvenile female of Maryland.” The status of her case is also unknown.
MPD’s two press releases on the case are below, along with a video from WUSA showing the scene of the crash.
November 8, 2012
Death Investigation: 1400 Block of Brentwood Parkway, NE
(Washington, DC)-Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Departments Major Crash Unit are investigating a fatal traffic accident which occurred in the 1400 block of Brentwood Parkway, NE.
On Wednesday, November 7, 2012, at approximately 9:07 pm, units from the Fifth District responded to the rear of the 1400 block of Brentwood Parkway, NE for a report of a vehicle accident. Upon their arrival, Officers located a burning vehicle that had run off the drive way and into a fence. Personnel from the DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene, extinguished the fire and removed an unidentified male from the vehicle. The operator of the vehicle had no signs consistent with life and he remained on the scene.
The preliminary investigation revealed the operator was driving a four-door Lincoln taxi cab. Detectives are investigating to determine what caused the accident. The operator of the vehicle was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner pending an autopsy.
November 9, 2012
Death Investigation Ruled Homicide and Arrests Made: 1400 Block of Brentwood Parkway, NE
(Washington, DC)-Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch have announced that two arrests have been made in the homicide which occurred in the 1400 block of Brentwood Parkway, NE.
On Wednesday, November 7, 2012, at approximately 9:07 pm, units from the Fifth District responded to the rear of the 1400 block of Brentwood Parkway, NE for a report of a vehicle accident. Upon their arrival, officers located a burning vehicle that had run off the drive way and into a fence. Personnel from the DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene, extinguished the fire and removed an unidentified male from the vehicle. The operator of the vehicle had no signs consistent with life and he remained on the scene.
The preliminary investigation revealed the operator was driving a four-door Lincoln taxi cab. The operator of the vehicle was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner pending an autopsy.
On Thursday, November 8, 2012, an autopsy was conducted on the remains of the decedent. The results of the autopsy showed the decedent suffered from a single gunshot wound to the head.
The victim’s identity is being withheld at this time pending positive identification by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
On Friday, November 9, 2012, 17-year-old Joshua Terrell Mebane of Waldorf, MD was arrested pursuant to an adult arrest warrant charging him with Felony Murder. A juvenile female of Maryland was also arrested and charged with Felony Murder in this shooting death.
