Teen Suspect To Be Charged As Adult For Allegedly Carjacking FBI Agent

In Washington, D.C., a 17-year-old suspect has been arrested for carjacking an FBI agent.

As carjackings rise in Washington, D.C, 17-year-old Devonte Lynch, who is accused of carjacking an FBI agent with an accomplice, will be tried as an adult, DC News Now reports.

The incident happened Nov. 29 around 3:45 pm, according to a statement from the victim. The woman said she was held at gunpoint and that she was “knocked down to the ground in an unknown manner and became disoriented.”

She also sustained a cut to her lip before having both her phone and vehicle stolen. The suspects’ possibly used a getaway car, according to court documents. The agent said three Glock 19 handgun magazines loaded with live 9mm rounds of ammunition were also stolen.

The vehicle was located by law enforcement in an alley less than an hour later. Security footage showed two suspects exiting the agent’s car and fleeing the scene. On Nov. 30, an anonymous tip identified the suspects as members of the local Area 71 gang and provided law enforcement with the details of Lynch’s high school, DC News Now reports.

Investigators received further help from a witness at the school and secured a search warrant for the 17-year-old’s home.

Lynch is currently being held at the Youth Services Center as he awaits his trial.

In 2023, there have been more than 900 reported carjackings in the D.C. area, with guns involved in over 70% of the incidents, NBC Washington reports.

The Insurance Information Institute said carjackers may attempt to lure potential victims by “bumping your car, pretending to be stranded motorists or flashing their lights as if there were something wrong with your car. In each of these scenarios, you might be tempted to pull over — only to have your car taken. Stay inside with the windows shut and the door locked, and if you feel a threat, drive to the nearest police or fire station.”

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Metropolitan Police Department have issued free car tags to residents to help locate stolen vehicles more quickly.