Six Girls, Ages 11 to 14, Arrested After Heinously Violent Assault - Hate Crime Enhancement Now in Play

A group of six girls, aged between 11 and 14, allegedly attacked a woman outside Union Station in Washington, D.C., leading to their arrests.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, authorities became aware of the incident on Wednesday after a video surfaced on social media. The footage reportedly shows the girls "repeatedly punching and kicking" a woman as she "walked outside of Union Station," as stated in a news release from the department.

"One of the suspects recorded the assault and encouraged the other suspects to continue their attack," the statement further detailed.

The group is also accused of assaulting other bystanders who attempted to intervene, though none of those individuals sustained serious injuries.

On Thursday, detectives took an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old into custody in connection with the assault.

Both juveniles are now facing multiple charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to riot, simple assault, and disorderly conduct.

By Friday, law enforcement arrested four additional girls, ranging in age from 11 to 14.

These individuals have been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and rioting.

Investigators determined that all six girls may have acted based on "hate or bias," leading to additional charges of assault with a deadly weapon, accompanied by hate crime enhancements.

Chief of Police Pamela Smith praised the investigative team for "quickly identifying and apprehending these individuals so our criminal justice system can hold them accountable."

"I hope the swiftness of these arrests, and the consequences these young people will soon face, deters activity like this from occurring again," she emphasized.

"We need to continue instilling values in our youngest residents that steer them toward success and away from criminal behavior."

Reports indicate that up to nine individuals may have been involved in the attack, as noted by WJLA-TV in Washington.

The news outlet pointed out that this incident is part of a broader trend of juvenile crime in the city.

Another notable case involved two minors who allegedly stole a man's Canada Goose jacket aboard a Green Line train traveling between Congress Heights and Anacostia.

Those juveniles were later arrested in Maryland for additional offenses.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed frustration with the rising juvenile crime rates on Friday, particularly regarding the tendency of some young offenders to avoid prosecution through diversion programs that claim to rehabilitate them, WJLA reported.

"We have a good arrest, we make a good case. They have to be charged and put in the system," Bowser asserted.

"And I’ve said repeatedly, that doesn’t mean a diversion, that doesn’t mean an unaccountable supervision program. That means we need them in the system."