Twins Found Guilty of Attacking Man In Bias-Related Crime in Northwest Washington

            WASHINGTON – Christopher Lucas and Christina Lucas, 21-year-old twins from Washington, D.C., were found guilty by a jury today of the felony offense of aggravated assault while armed, with a bias enhancement, for attacking a man in Northwest Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.

            The verdicts followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the aggravated assault charge, Christopher Lucas was found guilty of a charge of simple assault involving a second victim. The Honorable Yvonne M. Williams will sentence them at a date to be determined. Both defendants are detained pending sentencing. Because of the bias enhancement, the defendants could face additional time in prison for the crime.

            According to the government’s evidence, early on Oct. 19, 2013, the male victim and two women were among those attending a party at a rooming house in the 2800 block of Sherman Avenue NW. Just before 12:30 a.m., the three left the party and walked to street corner to hail a cab. While they were trying to hail a cab, the Lucases and a group of men approached them and attacked the man, using homophobic slurs. One of the women was also punched by Christopher Lucas. The male victim was knocked over on the sidewalk and punched and stomped multiple times by the Lucases and others in the group. Christina Lucas had an object in her hand and used it to cut the victim’s face while he was lying on the sidewalk.

            The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was called, and the defendants fled. The victim was treated at a hospital for facial fractures and lacerations.  The victim has a permanent scar beneath his eye as a result of the cut. Both defendants were later arrested pursuant to arrest warrants. The object in Christina Lucas’s hand during the assault was never recovered.

            In announcing the verdicts, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the officers, detectives and others who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Nicole McGhee and Tiffany Fogle; Litigation Technology Specialists Paul Howell, Aneela Bhatia, and Anisha Bhatia; Victim/Witness Security Specialist David Foster, and Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Veronica Jennings, who investigated and prosecuted the case, and Kapil Longani, who prosecuted the case.