WASHINGTON – A D.C. teen is off the streets for a long stretch. Erick Alvarenga, 19, of Washington D.C., received a 14-year prison sentence today for his role in two brazen carjackings that terrorized residents over the holiday season. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the sentencing, a clear message that D.C.’s streets won’t be a playground for violent criminals.
Alvarenga pleaded guilty on June 23, 2025, in D.C. Superior Court to one count of carjacking (unarmed) and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence stemming from a December 28, 2024, incident. He also admitted guilt to identical charges related to a carjacking on January 3, 2025. His accomplice, Malik Kearney, 20, has also pleaded guilty and is set to be sentenced October 10, 2025.
Judge Andrea Hertzfeld laid down a stiff sentence: 60 months for each count of possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, and 84 months for each unarmed carjacking. The sentences for the December 28th offense will run concurrently, but consecutively to the charges from the January 3rd incident, meaning Alvarenga won’t see freedom anytime soon.
The first carjacking unfolded around 4:45 a.m. on December 28, 2024, in the 6100 block of Eastern Avenue, Northeast. Alvarenga and Kearney cornered a victim in a Jeep SUV, one brandishing a black handgun. They forced the victim out and sped off in the stolen vehicle. Just days later, on January 3, 2025, they struck again. This time, they targeted a man at a gas station in the 4200 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, Northeast, using the stolen Jeep to box in the victim’s Dodge sedan while Kearney approached with a handgun. They stole the Dodge and fled, leaving another victim shaken and carless.
Both Alvarenga and Kearney were apprehended later that evening and have remained in custody. A search revealed two firearms – one with a defaced serial number and the other an illegal “ghost gun” – adding further fuel to the severity of their crimes. Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in condemning the pair’s actions.
Pirro and Smith commended the diligent work of the Metropolitan Police Department investigators, as well as the efforts of Special Agent Nelson Rhone, Jr. from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Randle Wilson and Amanda Hoover successfully prosecuted the case, securing a conviction that, hopefully, sends a strong deterrent to other would-be carjackers plaguing the nation’s capital. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case, as well as any sentencing developments regarding co-defendant Malik Kearney.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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