D.C. Man Sentenced to 13½ Years After Armed Carjacking and High-Speed Escape Across Region
- DC News Desk
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
WASHINGTON — A Washington man has been sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for an armed carjacking and robbery spree that began in the District and ultimately led police on a dangerous pursuit through Maryland and Washington.
Dartanian Owens, 22, was sentenced Monday to 162 months in prison by D.C. Superior Court Judge Andrea Herzfeld, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Federal prosecutors announced the sentence Tuesday.
Owens pleaded guilty in April to carjacking, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, robbery and carrying a pistol without a license.
Prosecutors said the case began in the early morning hours of April 6, 2025, when Owens, armed with a firearm, targeted a DoorDash driver making a food delivery in Northeast Washington and took the victim’s vehicle.
Two days later, Prince George’s County police located the stolen vehicle at a McDonald’s parking lot in Maryland. Authorities attempted to stop Owens, but prosecutors said he fled, triggering a pursuit that crossed through Maryland and back into the District.
During the chase, Owens drove as much as 44 mph over the posted speed limit through a residential neighborhood, according to prosecutors. Police eventually deployed spike strips to disable the vehicle. Owens then jumped from the moving vehicle and attempted to escape on foot through a residential area.
Investigators said officers pursued him through the neighborhood as he hid around homes, porches and sheds. After he was taken into custody, police recovered a Walther PK380 handgun and a key fob associated with the stolen vehicle along his escape route. Prosecutors said Owens also provided officers with a false identity after his arrest.
Owens has remained in custody since April 2025.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force investigated the case, which highlights the regional nature of violent-crime enforcement in the Washington area, where suspects and stolen vehicles can move rapidly between the District and surrounding Maryland jurisdictions.
