A 16-year-old was sentenced to a juvenile facility until he turns 21 after pleading guilty to five charges related to the October 2024 murder of 39-year-old Bryan Smith, a.k.a. “The Barber,” a beloved local DJ, barber, and stylist who died after being robbed in the 500 block of T Street NW.
The youth did not react as D.C. Superior Court Judge James Crowell read the charges — including robbery, felony murder, and assault — and told him: “A life was taken and your role in that cannot be erased.”
According to prosecutors, Smith was seen on surveillance footage being followed by a group — including the 16-year-old — while walking along T Street in the early morning hours of October 27. He was later found unconscious, suffering from head trauma and other injuries, with blood on his nose and hands, and was transported to a local hospital.
The 39-year-old remained in a coma for more than a week in a Virginia hospital before passing away on November 7. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma, and the case was classified as a homicide.
The 16-year-old stole Smith’s cell phone — later tracked to the youth’s home — as well as his wallet. Prosecutors say the teen and a 17-year-old accomplice allegedly used one of Smith’s credit cards to order food at McDonald’s and make purchases at a Nike store.
The 17-year-old accused of being the teen’s accomplice has not entered a guilty plea, but has undergone a series of mental health evaluations. In December, a forensic psychologist who examined him determined the youth has limited cognitive abilities, according to The Washington Post.
Police say surveillance footage shows the teens assaulting and attempting to rob individuals in the 1900 block of 14th Street NW around 5:50 a.m. Minutes later, they allegedly robbed another person in the 1800 block of Vermont Avenue NW before fleeing in a vehicle. According to an MPD press release, they are also suspected of robbing a third victim about 90 minutes later in the 900 block of Rhode Island Avenue NE.
Neither of the robbery victims reported injuries.
The 16-year-old reportedly had five other pending robbery and assault cases against him on the night in question. Despite this, as The Washington Post reported in December, the youth’s mother was upset — even attempting to fire his lawyer — after her son chose to plead guilty to the charges related to Smith’s murder.
Under D.C. law, the most a youth can be sentenced to for a crime as serious as murder is confinement in a youth detention center until he turns 21.
“It’s not as much justice as I wanted, but that’s all that legally could be given, so I’m very happy with that,” Lela Sandoval, Smith’s mother, said at the sentencing.
Sadly, Sandoval lost her older son, John, to a brain aneurysm just three months before Smith was murdered. While addressing the court, she fought back tears, telling Judge Crowell that Smith was the only one she had left to take care of her.
Several of Smith’s friends, family members, and fellow DJs spoke at the sentencing hearing, detailing Smith’s loving, friendly personality and asking for the maximum penalty for his assailant.
“He was an amazing, amazing human who was just filled with joy, fun, laughter, the best laugh I’ve ever heard in my life,” Smith’s boyfriend, Tyler, told the court. “It’s been very tough. I miss him so, so much.”
Sheldon "Timothy" Herrington Jr. has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and evidence tampering in the death of University of Mississippi graduate student Jimmy "Jay" Lee. The gay 20-year-old disappeared in 2022, and his remains were not found until earlier this year.
Herrington was first charged with Lee's murder just weeks after he disappeared. But the case was difficult to prosecute, largely because Lee's body remained missing for more than two years, including at the time of Herrington’s December 2024 trial.
A Florida man has been arrested and charged with the murder of Girlalala, a 21-year-old transgender TikTok influencer, after allegedly shooting her during what appears to have been a dispute between the couple.
Broward County Sheriff's Office deputies say 25-year-old Shanoyd Whyte Jr. shot Girlalala shortly before 7 p.m. on Friday, November 14, while the two were sitting in a car on the side of the road in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida.
According to Miami-based WPLG, video from a nearby Tesla shows a man believed to be Whyte getting out of the driver's side of a sedan as Girlalala tries to exit the passenger side. He appears to grab her by the hair and force her back inside before pacing outside the car with a cellphone in hand.
A Texas grand jury has indicted 57-year-old Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez in connection with the June 1 killing of actor Jonathan Joss. Police say Alvarez confronted Joss and his husband as they were picking up mail at their San Antonio home, which had burned down in February.
The 59-year-old Joss -- whose legal name was Jonathan Joss Gonzales -- was best known for his roles on the animated series King of the Hill and the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation.
The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office said in a Nov. 19 statement that Ceja Alvarez "is charged with murder, the most serious charge applicable under Texas law." The office added that, because the case is still pending, no further details could be released.
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