Two girls, ages 13 and 15, have been charged with murder after their botched attempt at stealing a food delivery driver’s car in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday resulted in his death, police said.
Mohammad Anwar, 66, was making deliveries for Uber Eats near Nationals Park in the district’s Navy Yard neighborhood when the two teenage girls tried to steal his car.
Detective Chad Leo of the Metropolitan Police Department testified in court Wednesday that the girls entered Anwar’s car armed with a stun gun and a struggle ensued, The Washington Post reported. Anwar was hanging out of the open driver’s side door when one of the girls turned on the ignition and “manipulated” the gear shift, Leo said.
The car suddenly accelerated down the street and made a sharp right turn before crashing into a parked car and overturning moments later, Leo testified.
Anwar sustained life-threatening injuries, including multiple broken bones, as a result of the incident, Leo testified. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators determined the girls “assaulted the victim with a taser” during the carjacking, police said in a statement Wednesday.
A witness recorded video of the aftermath of the crash that showed National Guard troops helping the girls out of the wreckage, reported NBC Washington.
New, separate video being circulated on social media appears to show the moments leading up to the crash, with Anwar hanging out of the vehicle and repeatedly stating, “This is my car.” As the car engine suddenly begins to rev, a bystander can be seen slapping the car and yelling, “Stop it!”
The car then speeds down the road and takes a sharp right turn before a loud crash can be heard on the video. The bystander recording the video runs toward the crash. The video appears to show the girls exiting the car and Anwar’s body on the sidewalk.
It wasn’t immediately clear who recorded the video and officials have not confirmed its authenticity. A spokesperson for the MPD told HuffPost that the department is “aware of the video.”
Warning: The video is extremely graphic.
Authorities have not released the girls’ identities, but police said the 13-year-old resides in Southeast D.C. and the 15-year-old in Fort Washington, Maryland.
The girls have been charged with felony murder and armed carjacking. Each pleaded “not involved” ― the juvenile equivalent of not guilty ― to the charges during their initial court appearance Wednesday, the Post reported. Their next court hearing has been scheduled for March 31.
Anwar, who immigrated to the U.S. from Pakistan in 2014, is survived by his wife, three children and four grandchildren. He lived in Springfield, Virginia.
“The family is devastated by this senseless crime,” Anwar’s family said in a statement. “Mohammad Anwar was a father, a grandfather, a husband, a brother and uncle beloved by many here in the U.S. and in Pakistan. ... The loss for his family is immeasurable.”
As of Sunday, a GoFundMe campaign to “provide a traditional Islamic funeral for him and assist his family with the loss of income” had raised over $385,000.
In a statement, an Uber spokesperson said the company was “devastated by this tragic news and our hearts go out to Mohammad’s family during this difficult time.”
“We’re grateful the suspects have been arrested,” the spokesperson told WTOP, “and thank the Metropolitan Police Department for their diligence with this investigation.”
Food delivery drivers have become increasingly targeted by carjackers in D.C., especially in the Navy Yard neighborhood where Anwar was killed, reported WUSA. Carjackings in the area have tripled compared to this time last year, police told the outlet.