Oxon Hill Man Snatches Lyft Ride, Gets 7 Years

A 23-year-old Oxon Hill man is behind bars for stealing a Lyft ride and dragging the driver for a short distance in Southeast Washington D.C. last year.

Derrick Teeter, 23, of Oxon Hill, MD, was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for the carjacking robbery committed in Southeast Washington D.C. last year, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Jessica M.E. Taylor, of the U.S. Park Police.

According to the government’s evidence, on June 2, 2022, shortly after 11:30AM, Teeter requested a Lyft ride for pick up in the 3800 block of South Capitol Street SE to take him to the 600 block 46th Street SE. Teeter entered the rideshare vehicle and sat in the back seat on the passenger side.

While riding in the vehicle, the defendant pretended to feel sick and asked the victim to pull to the side of the road. The victim pulled over to a grassy area, where the defendant exited the vehicle. The defendant requested water and some tissue from the victim. After the victim retrieved these items from his vehicle and returned to attend to the defendant, Teeter pushed the victim to the ground, immediately jumped into the driver’s seat, and took off in the victim’s vehicle.

The victim was dragged for a short distance before letting go and flagging down assistance from other drivers passing by. One of those drivers called 911, and police and emergency personnel arrived on the scene and provided aid to the victim for his injuries. The vehicle was recovered the next day.

Teeter pleaded guilty in Superior Court to robbery and unlawful use of a vehicle on February 7, 2024. Superior Court Judge Erik Christian sentenced the defendant to 60 months in prison for robbery, and a consecutive 24 months in prison for unlawful use of a vehicle. The court also denied the defendant’s request for sentencing under the Youth Rehabilitation Act.

This case was investigated by the United States Park Police Major Crimes Unit with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Bartz.