Washington, D.C.‘s U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro on Monday threatened criminal prosecutions, $500 fines, and possible jail time for parents of teenagers involved in violent “teen takeovers” after a chaotic brawl inside a Navy Yard Chipotle over the weekend sparked renewed outrage over the uptick in juvenile crime.
Pirro said Monday afternoon that parents who fail to supervise minors participating in violent mob gatherings, curfew violations, truancy, drug use, and other criminal activity could face prosecution under Washington’s “contributing to the delinquency of a minor” statute.
“If your teen is a curfew violator, you’re subject to a $500 fine each and every time,” Pirro said. “If there are crimes under contributing to the delinquency of a minor, you face up to six months in prison, and I am not shy about looking for jail time.”
The warning came after videos widely circulated online showed a violent melee Saturday night inside a Chipotle restaurant in Washington’s Navy Yard neighborhood.
The footage appeared to show large groups of teenagers throwing punches, hurling chairs, and using restaurant furniture as weapons while customers fled for safety.
At one point in the video, a man holding a young girl in a pink dress could be seen shielding her from the violence unfolding around them.
“That infuriated me, and it should infuriate every one of you,” Pirro said. “This has to stop.”
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded around 8:41 p.m. Saturday to reports of a large fight inside the restaurant on 1st Street SE. Police said officers were already nearby monitoring a large gathering and arrived within roughly one minute, though the individuals involved had fled before police entered the business.
Pirro said the FBI is assisting MPD investigators as authorities work to identify those involved.
“These takeovers are not harmless gatherings,” said Darren Cox, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington field office. “They’re violent incidents that often lead to assaults, fights, and robberies.”
Pirro repeatedly tied the violence to the District’s ongoing debate over expanded juvenile curfew powers. During the press conference, she displayed a poster board featuring the names and phone numbers of D.C. Council members while urging residents to pressure lawmakers into approving broader discretionary curfew authority for police.
“What the discretionary curfew gives us is the ability for police to go in and break it up,” Pirro said. “If we know about it ahead of time, we’re there before it happens.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday signed a bill authorizing MPD to establish temporary 8 p.m. juvenile curfew zones in designated areas, although the measure must still undergo Congress’s mandatory 30-day review period before taking effect, which will likely be sometime in July.
Pirro accused council members of “punting” on the issue earlier this spring and argued the city cannot wait as violent incidents continue heading into the summer months.
“We’re coming for you, and we’re coming for your parents,” Pirro said.
DOJ ANNOUNCES SURGE OF NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS AHEAD OF AMERICA 250
Michael Spence, who oversees the Washington side of Pirro’s office, also said prosecutors are examining whether parents living in Maryland or Virginia could potentially face liability if their children travel into Washington to participate in the disturbances.
“There may be circumstances where we may be able to prosecute parents who live in Maryland or Virginia,” Spence said. “It depends on the circumstances.”