Deandrew Hamlin’s charge of unauthorized use of a stolen vehicle was dismissed in his D.C. Superior Court preliminary hearing earlier today.
Hamlin, the 18-year-old found driving the late Professor Sue Marcum’s stolen Jeep Cherokee, will continue to be held in the custody of the District until his extradition hearing Nov. 24, unless he waives his right to the hearing, according to Montgomery County Police spokesperson Lucille Baur.
The District will hold Hamlin on a fugitive warrant from Montgomery County Police, which obtained a warrant for Hamlin at the end of October on the charges of motor vehicle theft, theft of over $1,000 and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, according to Baur.
Baur said a police agency will commonly drop its charges against a suspect when another agency with a greater interest in the case also has a warrant for that suspect.
The D.C. charge regarding unauthorized use of a motor vehicle could be re-filed later if the investigation determines that would be appropriate, according to Bill Miller, a public information officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
mfowler@theeagleonline.com
