Latest news with #youthCrime
Washington Post
a day ago
- Washington Post
Do kids feel safe in D.C.? We asked them.
In 2023, crime surged in the District as homicides reached levels not seen in a generation. By the year's end, D.C. police had made more than 500 arrests of people under age 18 for violent crimes — the most in a single year since 2004. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 from that age group had died in homicides. Teens with no previous criminal records were being arrested 'because they put a gun in somebody's face,' said then-D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee III at a crime summit in 2023. Students changed schools in fear only to find they could not escape the violence. A council member urged parents to keep their children indoors: 'It's not safe in D.C.'
RNZ News
5 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
13yo among group of alleged car thieves
Police say they tracked two cars taken from the city suburbs of Bishopdale and St Albans to Pegasus. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller A 13-year-old boy was among five people arrested early on Wednesday morning for stealing cars north of Christchurch. Police say they tracked two cars taken from the city suburbs of Bishopdale and St Albans to Pegasus. Officers used road spikes to stop them, but before they could be apprehended Senior Sergeant Stephen McDaniel said they tried to steal a third vehicle, "but all they've done is break a window and make a mess of the ignition - and sadly, that's a headache for yet another car owner". The 13 year-old was referred to Youth Services. The others were aged up to 23, and will appear at Christchurch's district and youth courts on charges including vehicle theft, failing to stop and possessing an air rifle. "We know car theft is an ongoing problem and urge vehicle owners to purchase immobilisers or steering wheel locks if they have to park on the street," McDaniel said. "Even with attempted car theft, it's more than an inconvenience, because offenders can cause a lot of damage to the ignition when they're attempting to start the car. This offending has a real impact on real people's lives, and we need the community's help to prevent it." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
CBC
02-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Calgary boy who bought gun to impress Snapchat group executed teen, judge finds in murder conviction
Social Sharing A 15-year-old who bought a gun to impress his Snapchat group and then executed another teenager by shooting him point-blank in the back of the head is guilty of second-degree murder, a Calgary judge ruled Monday. Jal Acor Jal, 16, was fatally shot on March 31, 2022. His killer can't be named because he was a youth at the time of the shooting; CBC News will call him TK. On Monday, Court of King's Bench Justice Paul Jeffrey rejected TK's version of events, finding his story that the firearm accidentally discharged "impossible." On the day of the shooting, the two teens, who had recently met on Snapchat, planned to meet up at the Crowfoot LRT station. In a previous interview with CBC News, Jal's aunt said that he left his northwest home that night, asking his grandmother what she was cooking for dinner before telling her he would be back by 8:30 p.m., as he had school the next day. Jal was known as a talented athlete who played on both the basketball and football teams at St. Francis High School. When testifying in his own defence, TK told the court that he was an outcast at school, bullied and picked on, never invited anywhere or befriended by anyone, which led to him being home-schooled online. TK also worked for his father, installing vinyl siding. The Snapchat group In 2022, he'd joined a Snapchat group where some members discussed guns. "TK wanted badly to be accepted in the group and so set about getting his own gun," reads part of Jeffrey's conviction decision. TK tracked down a man who sold guns for cash online and one night, the two met and TK paid the seller $3,000 for a rifle he'd become "quite taken" with. That same night, TK showed off his new purchase to his Snapchat group. He got the reaction he'd been seeking. The gun was admired by the group, most of whom had handguns. Jeffrey noted that TK's rifle was "a hit." The meet-up TK told the group he'd get "whooped" and "beat" if his parents discovered the gun. He tore open the bottom fabric in his mattress's boxspring and shoved it into the wooden frame. In his testimony, TK told the court that Jal became interested in the gun and wanted to see it in person. There was some hearsay evidence, which the judge ruled he couldn't consider, that the purpose of the meet-up was for Jal to buy a pair of sneakers from TK, who had a collection. This is the narrative Jal's family believes to be true. The two boys met near the Crowfoot LRT station and walked to a grassy field behind a city electrical sub station building, hidden from sight. The victim carried an empty backpack. The killer carried a long, black shoulder bag with his semi-automatic rifle inside, along with a double magazine full of ammunition. The contradiction TK testified that, once at the substation, he handed Jal the gun as well as the loaded magazine. He said Jal loaded the gun and chambered a bullet and turned toward him. TK testified he "charged forward," grabbing the barrel of the gun from Jal. There was a struggle, according to TK, who testified he stumbled backwards. He said Jal tripped over his own feet. The gun "just went off," said TK. But the evidence showed Jal was shot in the back of the head and a firearms expert testified that more than eight pounds of force was required to pull the trigger. 'In a pool of blood, alone' Other tests were conducted on the weapon, showing that the gun would not discharge on its own or accidentally. The evidence also showed a lack of gunshot residue and melted fabric from the hood of Jal's sweatshirt. When the fatal bullet was fired, the gun was pressed up against the back of Jal's head, Jeffrey ruled. Within a couple of minutes after the 8:07 p.m. gunshot, security camera footage showed TK running across Crowchild Trail with the black bag across his shoulder. By 8:20 p.m., a nearby resident spotted Jal's body in the field. The judge noted the victim was "motionless, in a pool of blood, alone." Back at his house, TK hid the clothing he'd been wearing and returned the rifle to his boxspring hiding spot. Justice Jeffrey will hear sentencing arguments from defence lawyer Andrea Urquhart and prosecutor Todd Buziak at a later date.
ABC News
25-05-2025
- ABC News
Man dragged onto Bagot road during violent car theft in Darwin
Two teenagers have been charged with aggravated robbery after one of the alleged offenders dragged a man onto a main Darwin road before the pair stole his vehicle. Police alleged the 14-year-old boy and 17-year-old girl went on to use the stolen vehicle in a series of ram raids across the city in the early hours of Saturday morning. The pair have received more than 20 charges combined, including breach of bail, aggravated robbery, property damage and drink driving. In a statement, NT police said at the time of the theft a warrant was out for the arrest of the teenage boy after he "allegedly fled the courts and removed his electronic monitoring device prior to his court appearance" the day prior. Police said the incident began at around 1:35am on Saturday morning, when the two teenagers allegedly approached the man at the BP petrol station on Bagot Road in Coconut Grove. "The male youth allegedly grabbed the victim from behind and demanded his vehicle keys before a struggle ensued," the statement read. It is alleged the teenagers then threatened the man with a knife, before he handed over his keys and the pair drove off in his Toyota Camry. The vehicle was then allegedly used in a crime spree across Darwin, causing damage to multiple businesses. "A short time later, the stolen Toyota Camry was allegedly used to ram through fire escape doors at a business in Eaton, where the offenders entered the premises and stole a quantity of alcohol," police said. Police said the pair then drove to the Darwin Waterfront precinct, where they allegedly ram raided a convenience store and stole cigarettes, before fleeing the scene. Two hours after the pair allegedly stole the car, the Strike Force Trident and Dog Operations Unit spotted the vehicle travelling through Coconut Grove and attempted to apprehend it, but the vehicle did not stop. Police chased the car through Millner and back into Coconut Grove, where the teenagers allegedly abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. "A short foot pursuit was initiated, and both youths were apprehended without further incident," police said. Both teenagers are set to face Darwin Local Court on Monday.
ABC News
23-05-2025
- ABC News
Chinese migrant allegedly assaulted by teenagers in Sydney's Eastgardens
NSW Police has charged two minors with assault after a Chinese woman and her husband were allegedly attacked by a group of teenagers in Sydney's east. Police said two 12-year-old girls were charged with assault and granted conditional bail to appear in a children's court next month. The charges followed the circulation of graphic footage of the alleged attack. Nearby residents in the suburb of Eastgardens filmed it and shared the footage on social media, drawing widespread condemnation — particularly from Chinese Australians. In the video, a woman is seen knocked to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked by several people. A man who tries to intervene appears to be struck in the eyes, as a woman walking her dog also attempts to help. As the woman manages to sit up, she is kicked in the face before the group flees. The video went viral on social media, prompting calls for action and heightened concern among members of the Chinese community. The woman, a 42-year-old pharmaceutical worker who moved to Sydney from Shanghai last August, told the ABC she had been left feeling fearful and disillusioned. "I still believe that most people in this country are good, including many people who came forward to help me after I was attacked," she said. "But after the incident, I feel the life here is not safe, because you may be attacked without warning. This really took the shine off my impression of this country. "I hope all friends of Asian appearance, wherever they are, stay safe and look after themselves." The woman told the ABC she was searching a local park for a lost set of keys when a young boy suddenly approached and yelled an obscenity at her. She said moments later a group of teenagers gathered around her and her husband. When she challenged them for swearing, she says she was attacked from behind and dragged to the ground. "The process was so fast. I didn't really know who these people were, and I hadn't done anything to hurt them," she said. "My clothes were covering my eyes so I couldn't see who was kicking and punching me, but I could feel kicks and punches to my back, my head, my eyes and my arms and legs." It wasn't until she saw the footage that she realised how many people had been involved. After attending a nearby hospital, the woman was found to have extensive bruising, particularly on her back, as well as facial injuries, fractured fingers and impaired vision. The incident prompted others in Chinese-speaking communities to speak out about similar experiences in Sydney over recent months. "I can't guarantee it 100 per cent, but from what I've seen and heard so far, basically all the people who have been physically harmed in these cases are Chinese," the woman said. NSW Police declined to confirm if the Eastgardens attack was racially targeting Chinese people, as their investigation was ongoing. In a statement, China's consulate in Sydney described a number of recent attacks as "violent acts against ethnic Chinese and Chinese students". The consulate "firmly opposed and strongly condemn[ed]" the incidents, and urged Chinese nationals in Australia to stay alert, strengthen safety awareness, and avoid going out at night. The ABC has approached the Australian Human Rights Commission for comment. Read the story in Chinese: 阅读中文版
