Police Charge Two In Early Saturday Strong-Arm Robbery In Northwest D.C.

Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 6:45 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

WASHINGTON, DC.- On Saturday, following a swift-moving investigation, a 30-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman were taken into custody and jailed after being charged in connection with an assault and robbery that occurred earlier in the day in Northwest, D.C.

     According to Interim D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll, on Saturday, January 10, 2026, just shortly before 6:30 a.m., members of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department responded to a report of a robbery on the 2000 Block of Georgia Avenue in Northwest, D.C.

     Upon arrival, Police Officers located a victim who reported that, while on Georgia Avenue, they were approached by a group of suspects. One suspect began to assault them and demanded money, and a second suspect grabbed the victim’s wallet that had fallen to the ground. Following grabbing the wallet, the suspects fled the scene.

     A short time later, based on a description provided by the victim, Police Officers located and arrested Markus Anthony Vava, 30, with no known address, and Ashley Smith, 24, also with no known address. Following being taken into custody, Police Officers formally charged Vava with one count of Robbery by Force and Violence. Smith was charged with one count of second-degree Theft.

     Both Vava and Smith were processed on the charges and were detained pending their First Appearance in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

     The investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with additional information regarding this case is urged to contact the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department at (202) 727-9099 or text your information to the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411. 

“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”