Pr. George's Teens Charged in Slaying

Two 15-year-old Prince George's County boys have been charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of a man in Arlington County early Saturday and the wounding of his female companion, police said yesterday.

Arlington police said the teenagers, whose names were not released because they are juveniles, were arrested Saturday at a house in Oxon Hill, several hours after the attack took place shortly after midnight in the 5100 block of Columbia Pike.

Police did not identify the slain man because his female companion is considered a witness. Identifying him might in turn identify her, said Matt Martin, a police spokesman.

Martin said the youths were each charged with capital murder, robbery and other felonies. Police said they are among the youngest suspects to be accused of homicide in Virginia. But they are not the youngest in the region.

On Monday, a 12-year-old Prince George's boy was charged with the slayings of his mother and younger brother. And in 1993, an 8-year-old in the District was charged as a juvenile with involuntary manslaughter in the beating death of a 12-week-old baby.

Martin said the teenagers accused in the Arlington slaying were extradited to Virginia on Monday from Prince George's.

Arlington Commonwealth's Attorney Richard E. Trodden said the boys appeared yesterday at a brief hearing in juvenile court and are expected to appear before a juvenile judge again this morning.

Trodden said his office plans to file a petition to prosecute the youths as adults.

No other information was released yesterday about their alleged involvement in Saturday's slaying. The man, who was robbed at knifepoint and stabbed in the chest, died at a hospital. His companion suffered minor injuries, Martin said.

Martin said that in addition to the homicide, the county's second this year, the teenagers are suspected in numerous other crimes in Arlington. He said detectives are investigating the "strong possibility" that the teenagers are connected to a group of adults allegedly responsible for a string of armed robberies.

"We strongly suspect that they are linked to this other group," Martin said, adding that the robberies occurred in the past month in neighborhoods across the county.

Three adults suspected of orchestrating the robberies were arrested this weekend and charged in connection with one April 3 in the 1500 block of South George Mason Drive. Police said Teryl Jones, 23, Rose Nadey, 20, and Hamidu Kamara III, 21, all of Arlington, were each charged with robbery.