Teen Sought On Attempted Murder Charge In Attack Stemming From Gang Rivalry: Police

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — The public has been asked to help find the fourth teenage suspect sought on attempted murder charges stemming from an attack on a teenager on a school bus earlier this month.

Prince George's County Police have said the suspects and victim knew each other and the attempted murder stemmed from a previous dispute.

Known as Baby K, the 15-year-old boy has been charged as an adult with attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, assault, firearms offenses and additional charges. Three of the four suspects involved in this investigation are already in custody, authorities said.

Prince George’s County Crime Solvers has offered a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest and indictment. The U.S. Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force also is offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of the suspect.

The other suspects are a 14-year-old boy from Suitland, a 15-year-old boy from Temple Hills and a 14-year-old girl from Oxon Hill. They have been charged as adults, too.

• Related: 3 Suspects Assault Teen, Try To Shoot Him On School Bus: Police

The 14-year-old middle school girl recently was arrested and charged with attempted murder for her role in what police labeled a gang-related attack. In that assault, a teenage boy was attacked by three teenage boys, one of whom has been identified as Baby K, on a school bus May 1. One of the teenage boys tried to shoot the teen while on the bus, but the weapon malfunctioned, police said.

The assault happened shortly before 5 p.m. when the bus had stopped at Iverson Street and Sutler Drive in Oxon Hill to drop off students, Patch reported. While stopped, the three suspects boarded the bus and began to attack the victim who was still on the bus, according to Prince George's County Police.

One of the suspects pulled out a gun and tried to shoot the victim several times, but the weapon didn't fire, police said. The teenager suffered minor injures during the assault. Two adults — a bus driver and a bus aide — were on or near the bus at the time and were uninjured.

Video of the attack released by police shows a teenage attacker holding a gun to the victim’s head and chest while his two accomplices hold the victim down, police said. All three teens then beat the victim and fled.

Police identified a 14-year-old girl who they say masterminded the attack. Prince George's County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy spoke outside the courthouse after the girl's bond hearing, noting that three teens have been charged with attempted first-degree murder. Police are still searching for the fourth teen.

“We take these charges seriously. We take their actions seriously,” Braveboy said. “We will pursue these cases in the interest of justice and public safety.”

Prosecutors told the judge at the girl's detention hearing that a gang rivalry was involved in the attack, WUSA reported. The victim's mother also asked the judge not to let the girl go home, saying she, her son and the school bus driver feared she could orchestrate another attack if released. The suspect's family begged the judge to allow the girl to go home.

“She planned this out, and she set it up to a T," the victim’s mother said in court.

Attorneys for the two boys who are in custody said they are innocent. The attorneys argued that the attackers can’t be identified on video because of the masks, according to WUSA.

"Parents should know who their children are hanging out with, who they are socializing with, and who is influencing them," Braveboy said after the hearing. "Even if your child does not have a weapon, but the person they are with has a weapon and they intend to do harm, they will be charged as if they had the weapon. It's really important to take this seriously. We are serious about prosecuting everyone who is a gun offender here in Prince George’s County.”