'She will not go back into community' | Judge orders teen accused of robbing spree held on 24-hour lockdown at DC shelter house

WASHINGTON D.C., DC — A 15-year-old girl accused of beating and robbing people during a two-day crime spree will not be returning home after her first court appearance. But the teenager's mother said her daughter is wrongly accused. 

The girl appeared in court Wednesday morning for a status hearing, afer which her mother spoke to WUSA9 outside of the courtroom. We are not identifying the mother, or the teen, due to her being a minor. The girl's mother told WUSA9 they have the wrong child. While she admits her daughter may have been involved in the first assault, she said the suspect’s description in the other five assaults does not match her daughter, who has bright red locs. She described her daughter as a calm, happy, peaceful child who is a stranger to the court system. She said this was a shock to the whole family.

Kate Rios, the first victim of the series of attacks that began 10 days ago, said while her cuts and bruises have healed, the emotional trauma is still fresh. 

“I just can’t believe this happened,” said Rios, her voice breaking in emotion. “I keep replaying this over and over in my mind being kicked on the street.”

Rios was assaulted outside the FBI headquarters on July 21. Police say it was just the beginning of a crime spree where the 15-year-old girl and another teenager traveled around the city in a stolen car with Texas plates terrorizing and robbing people.

The 15-year-old was arrested and charged in connection to four assaults/robberies in a 10-hour period and two additional attacks the next day. 

Another woman who did not want to be identified, told WUSA9 the same group followed her in Logan Circle until she managed to hide in a nearby alley.

“They didn’t appear threatening, but something was off,” she recalled. "The car drives right passed me they put reverse lights on.”

Police have identified the second suspect, but have not arrested them. 

Meanwhile, both victims are warning others to stay off your phones and stay vigilant, whether it's day or night. 

“I never in a million years thought that would be me,” Rios said. “I read news stories about that...on the national mall that’s supposed to be a safe area. People take their families there!”

The teenager has been held at Youth Services Center since her arrest one week ago. Her defense attorney argued since the Department of Juvenile Services is being sued for unsafe conditions at the youth detention facility, it was not a safe place for her client.

"I’m not confident we would accomplish public safety by keeping her in a shelter house and not in a 6 X 6 cell," the judge said. 

Still, social workers convinced the judge to place the 15-year-old girl on 24-hour lockdown in a shelter house with a GPS ankle monitor until her next court appearance Aug. 9.

The judge warned the child if she even leaves the shelter to go to the corner store, he will issue an arrest warrant and immediately commit her to YSC without question.

The girl's mother told WUSA9 she hopes this will be a wake-up call for her daughter.