It happens in a flash.
One minute, motorists in the District of Columbia are checking their phones at red lights or parking on residential streets. The next moment, they have gun-toting carjackers demanding their keys — or their lives.
The record-high number of violent car thefts this year has spared no part of the nation’s capital. Members of Congress have been held up in swanky neighborhoods as working-class families become victims in more crime-prone areas.
It has left the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department on the defensive as it tries to rein in the rampant and unpredictable carjackings.
“Unfortunately, it’s pretty widespread. We don’t have a specific area where they’re occurring,” Carlos Heraud, assistant chief of the MPD Investigate Service Bureau, told The Washington Times.
Metropolitan police have recorded 757 carjackings so far this year, more than double last year’s 360 documented through Oct. 3. This year’s total also shatters the end-of-year total of 484 incidents in 2022, a record-high for the city.
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Every police district in the District has reported dramatic increases, including the more suburban 2nd District that covers Van Ness in Northwest (up 175%) and the 6th District east of the Anacostia River (up 193%).
The carjacking of Rep. Henry Cuellar, Texas Democrat, outside his Navy Yard apartment building Monday was one of the most high-profile thefts of the year.
The congressman said three young males wearing masks approached him with guns drawn and demanded his white Toyota Crossover.
Mr. Cuellar calmly complied and let the crooks take his ride, along with his phone and luggage. The car and the rest of his belongings were recovered in the Barry Farm neighborhood in Southeast less than two hours later.
The congressman has been lighthearted when recounting the incident. He has mentioned his black belt in karate and said he was more disappointed about losing his sushi in the car. Still, he acknowledges that public safety in the District has hit a low point.
“When you look at the numbers of murders, rapes [and] assaults at the border — let’s say [in] Laredo, Texas — I’ve always said that Washington’s about two or three times more dangerous, and we certainly see it now,” Mr. Cuellar said Tuesday night on Fox News.
Chief Heraud dismissed concerns that carjackings were becoming more common in Navy Yard, the area surrounding the Washington Nationals ballpark in Southeast.
“No, I don’t think Navy Yard has seen a greater increase than any other particular neighborhood in the city,” he said.
The carjacking of the Texas Democrat fits a familiar pattern in the District.
Chief Heraud said perpetrators often roam in a previously stolen car when they target someone idling at a stoplight or by a curb.
The thieves pull up, aim their guns at the motorist and demand the car keys.
Authorities don’t know why the number of carjackings has exploded in the past three-plus years. The chief told The Times that most carjacking suspects exercise their right to remain silent. He said anecdotally that those arrested are typically first-time criminal offenders.
Figuring out what motivates young people to commit such a violent crime would help police prevent brazen car thefts, he said.
“I really think if we can identify the ‘why,’ especially amongst the juveniles, we might be able to change our approach on how to slow this down,” Chief Heraud said.
Some researchers say the spike in violent thefts was one of the unforeseen consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bruce Jacobs, a criminologist at the University of Texas at Dallas, said school closures gave many teens more free time. Add in the business closures, and young people with criminal itches to shoplift or burglarize stores began looking to steal cars.
The only problem was that they couldn’t break into high-tech newer cars without violence.
Mr. Jacobs said proximity readers, electronic keys and sophisticated alarms have made it difficult to finagle a lock and hot-wire a car. Older-model Hyundais and Kias without such equipment have been targets of auto thefts across the country.
The teens and 20-somethings who commit 75% of all armed vehicle holdups nationwide use their street connections to procure guns. Other major cities such as Chicago, Minneapolis and Philadelphia have similar surges in carjackings.
“Carjackings are a lot easier,” he told The Times. “Stick a gun in somebody’s face, demand their vehicle, they get out, you get in, it’s over. Within a minute, you have exactly what you want.”
Although offenders are often legal minors and few carjackings turn deadly, Mr. Jacobs said, all the carjackers he has interviewed share a “stomach for violence.” He said Mr. Cuellar handled his holdup perfectly by peacefully handing over his keys.
The relative ease of carjacking is complemented by its usefulness to thieves.
Crooks can strip the car for parts and make money. They can use the car to help them commit other crimes or flaunt their stolen goods on social media without creating the harm that an assault or a shooting would.
“For some of these offenders, it’s a game of one-upmanship,” Mr. Jacobs said. “It’s about street credibility. It’s about bragging rights. It’s about showing … how much of a bada— you are. And I think carjacking can really do that in no uncertain terms.”
D.C. police recorded 10 carjackings just three days into October.
Authorities urge motorists to be aware of their surroundings, particularly when stopped at traffic lights and parking in neighborhoods.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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