The shocking murder of Capitol Hill intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym has led to the arrest of two teenage suspects — both now facing first-degree murder charges as adults in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced Friday that Jailen Lucas and Kelvin Thomas Jr., both 17, have been charged with murder while armed, which under D.C. law equates to first-degree murder, according to Fox News.
Both teens, despite their age, will be prosecuted in adult court due to the severity of the crime.
Pirro pointed to their past behavior as a warning sign that was missed.
“They don’t need to be protected; they need to be held accountable, and we need to be protected,” Pirro said, adding that both had prior violent records in family court.
She didn’t stop there, using the case to renew her push for more aggressive prosecution of violent juveniles.
“I am advocating and have advocated for jurisdiction over juveniles 14, 15, 16 and 17. They need to be brought into the criminal court so that we can prosecute them because if we do, we can prevent the murder that happened here based upon the histories of these two and the third individual that I cannot talk about,” Pirro said.
Authorities confirmed that a third suspect remains at large, but MPD Chief Pamela Smith expressed confidence another arrest is on the way.
“These two arrests, and a third one pending – I’m confident we’ll get the third one – give Eric’s loved ones some sense of peace as they continue to grieve a tremendous loss. Eric came to our city with a bright future ahead of him interning in a role where he served the public on Capitol Hill. He deserved an opportunity to return home safely to his family but was senselessly taken from his loved ones,” Smith said.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, also present at the press conference, condemned the city’s gun violence epidemic. However, when pressed on Pirro’s call for expanding jurisdiction over juvenile offenders, she sidestepped.
“The reason why we’re here, talking about 17-year-olds being charged as adults, it’s because the U.S. attorney has that authority for 17-year-olds,” Bowser said, later acknowledging, “cold-blooded murder” is a crime for which 17-year-olds can be charged as adults.
Tarpinian-Jachym, a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, was interning for Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.) when he was fatally shot in June, just one mile from the White House.
The arrests sparked national reaction, with FBI Director Kash Patel issuing a pointed statement:
“The murder of Eric Tarpinian-Jachym shook our nation’s capital, and today justice is moving forward. Thanks to the relentless work of the FBI, MPD and the Justice Department, two suspects are in custody. This is exactly what President Trump meant when he promised to make Washington, D.C., safe again: law and order, accountability, and justice for victims.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi echoed the sentiment, pledging swift accountability.
“They will face severe justice,” she said.
“We hope that this provides some measure of solace to his family.”
In July, the U.S. House of Representatives held a moment of silence in Tarpinian-Jachym’s honor, with Rep. Estes delivering a heartfelt tribute:
“He was a kind and friendly presence in my office, greeting everyone who came through the door with a smile,” Estes said. “The loss of Eric will be felt for a long time. We will never forget his presence and kindness in my office. Those he met in his short term in my office will never forget him either.”
Tarpinian-Jachym is survived by his mother Tamara, father Robert, sister Angela, and brother Jeremy.
As D.C. continues to reel from violent youth crime, President Donald Trump’s tough-on-crime policies — including National Guard patrols — are earning both praise and criticism. Just last month, Edward Coristine, known online as “Big Balls,” was assaulted in D.C., with two teens arrested in that case as well.
