A 15-year-old pleaded guilty on Wednesday to the attack of a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee, which sparked President Trump’s crime crackdown in Washington, D.C. this summer.
The teen, from Hyattsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty in D.C. juvenile court to felony assault, simple assault, robbery and attempted robbery for targeting former DOGE employee Edward Coristine, also known as “big balls.”
He was temporarily held at the Youth Services Center but later placed on electronic monitoring, according to The Washington Post.
An image of Coristine, bloodied and sitting on the ground, rapidly spread on the internet in early August after Trump administration officials drew attention to the crime that involved a large group of underage individuals.
“They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now!” the president wrote in regards to local juveniles in an August post on Truth Social.
Days later, Trump announced he was taking federal control of the capital’s police department and deploying the National Guard there in an effort to crack down on crime.
However, local leaders have pushed back on the White House attempt to override local autonomy in D.C., alleging leaders have subjected residents to random stops, unexpected searches and arrests by unidentified members of law enforcement.
“We’re under siege by our own fed govt. The military occupation of DC is unlawful, unwarranted, and unwelcome.,” Council member Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) wrote in a statement on X.
“What we’re witnessing on our streets is cruel, counterproductive, and unacceptable.” she wrote in a previous post.
