Teen Carjacking Suspects Freed After DOGE Staffer Assault

Two teenage suspects in the Washington, D.C., carjacking attack that left a former Trump administration staffer injured were freed from detention Thursday, according to multiple reports.

A judge released a 15-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl from Maryland to a less restrictive youth shelter and a parent’s home, respectively, as they face charges for the Aug. 3 incident, The Washington Post and NBC4 reported. The attempted carjacking in Dupont Circle by the two suspects and others drew national attention after authorities said the mob assaulted former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer Edward Coristine for trying to protect the would-be victim.

The court ordered the two teens to obey restrictions such as electronic monitoring and a 24-hour curfew, The Washington Post reported.

The boy and girl were the only suspects arrested at the scene on Aug. 3, and about ten others fled on foot, police said. Photos later surfaced of Coristine, nicknamed “Big Balls,” sitting down shirtless and covered in blood after he reportedly confronted those who tried to steal a woman’s vehicle by pushing her inside and facing them.

Prosecutors working for D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, who has promoted lenient policies for juvenile defendants, opposed the Thursday release of the teen suspects, NBC4 reported, citing a source familiar with the court proceedings. Prosecutors said the girl has another pending case in Maryland and is a danger to the community, according to The Washington Post. The boy’s lawyer reportedly told the court that his client hadn’t been arrested before.