2 teens arrested, 3rd suspect at large in DC murder of congressional intern
Two 17-year-olds have been arrested in the murder of congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced Friday.
Investigators are still searching for a third suspect, who has been identified as 18-year-old Naqwan Antonio Lucas.
Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, was killed by stray bullets in Washington on June 30.
Jalen Lucas and Kelvin Thomas Jr. are being charged with first-degree murder in the killing. They will be prosecuted as adults, she said.
Lucas is wanted on a D.C. Superior Court arrest warrant for premeditated first-degree murder while armed.
Tarpinian-Jachym, an intern for Rep. Ron Estes, was shot four times in the late-night shooting, investigators said. He was a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Pirro said.
"He was an innocent bystander who was caught in a violent act that was not meant for him," Pirro said. "His death is a stark reminder of how fragile life is and how violence too often visits us in the nation's capital."
Prosecutors expect more charges will be added after the case is presented to a grand jury, Pirro said.
Investigators said they were able to identify the suspects through reviewing various videos in the D.C. area and conducting multiple interviews. The suspects were apprehended in D.C., officials said.
The suspects have prior violent juvenile records in family court, Pirro said, arguing that she needs the authority to prosecute younger kids, Pirro said.
Pirro used the news conference to forcefully denounce the D.C. City Council, which she argued has stymied her office's ability to arrest and charge juveniles accused of committing acts of violence in the district.
"The D.C. Council has coddled young criminals for years," Pirro said. "They reject mandatory minimums that the law requires. They don't force judges to follow the law."
