District Man Indicted for Assaulting Senior Citizen with Intent to Kill Him While Armed and Other Charges

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 13, 2023

Defendant Accused of Stabbing Victim Nine Times in Torso and Neck

            WASHINGTON – Herbert Young, 40, of Washington, D.C., was indicted for assaulting a senior citizen with the intent to kill him while armed with a knife and related charges stemming from a stabbing that occurred on February 4, 2023. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Ashan M. Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

            Young was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of assault with intent to kill of a senior citizen while armed, aggravated assault of a senior citizen while armed, assault of a senior citizen with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a dangerous weapon.  

            According to the government’s evidence, Young’s 74-year-old victim lived in the apartment above him.  On February 4, 2023, Young went to the victim’s apartment at approximately 1:30 p.m., and knocked.  The victim opened his door, and, after a brief interaction, Young stabbed the victim nine times in the torso and neck, using a knife with an approximately eight-inch blade.  Young then left the building and went to the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sixth District substation.  The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital. Young brought the knife he used to stab the victim to police and reported that the victim had attacked him and that he acted in self-defense.  Young had a cut on his hand. The victim received emergency life-saving medical treatment and survived. Young was arrested and has been in custody ever since.    

            An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

            In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Benedict commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Alec Levy, who is investigating and prosecuting the case.