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By Isabel van Brugen
News Reporter
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Police in Washington, D.C., have released photos of a person of interest in connection with the assault of former DOGE staffer Edward "Big Balls" Coristine during an alleged carjacking earlier this month.
The Metropolitan Police Department urged members of the public to help identify the individual shown in the images, seen below, following the incident which took place at approximately 3 a.m on August 3. Two suspects, a 15-year-old male and a 15-year-old female, have so far been arrested and charged with unarmed carjacking.
"The suspects demanded the victim's vehicle and then assaulted one of the victims," police said in an August 7 update. "During the assault, an MPD cruiser pulled into the block causing the suspects to flee. Two of the suspects were apprehended by the on-scene officers."
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Newsweek contacted the Metropolitan Police Department before regular office hours on Monday for the latest.
Why It Matters
Nineteen-year-old Coristine became a prominet figure in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the second Trump administration.
President Donald Trump, sharing a photo of a bloodied Coristine, on August 5 said crime was "out of control" and if D.C. "doesn't get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City."
Trump has since ordered an "increased presence" of law enforcement in the capital. Last week, the president directed federal officers remain deployed for at least seven days and he is scheduled to hold a news conference on Monday to discuss law enforcement in D.C., fueling speculation that the D.C. National Guard could be deployed on the streets.
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What To Know
The Metropolitan Police Department said on August 7 that multiple suspects in the incident remained at large.
Images released by police show a male looking at the camera with his arms crossed and a face mask covering his chin. The department said it was "seeking the community's assistance in identifying a person of interest in an attempted unarmed carjacking that occurred in Northwest."
The department said the case is under investigation by MPD's Carjacking Taskforce, which comprises MPD detectives and agents of the FBI Washington Field Office.
Trump said Coristine—now employed by the Social Security Administration—was "beaten mercilessly" during the alleged carjacking attack.
The White House announced that federal officers would remain deployed in Washington for at least a week, with the possibility of extending the operation if necessary. The patrol is led by the U.S. Park Police, with support from Homeland Security, the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals, the Department of Transportation, the Department of the Interior, and other agencies.
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In an August 7 statement, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president had ordered a stronger federal law enforcement presence "to protect innocent citizens."
"Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in DC," she said.
Trump had earlier posted on Truth Social that crime in the capital was "out of control," a claim that contrasts with police data showing violent crime in Washington fell to its lowest level in three decades last year.
Asked about speculation that Trump might order in D.C.'s National Guard, a White House official also told NBC News: "We won't get ahead of the President on any potential announcements, but the President has been clear that all options are on the table when it comes to making D.C. safe again."
Trump deployed guardsmen to Los Angeles this summer following riots that stemmed from anger over federal immigration raids. A trial in a lawsuit brought by California's government Gavin Newsom against that move begins this week.
Unlike in California, the president is automatically in charge of the National Guard in D.C.
What People Are Saying
Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release on August 7: "Multiple suspects remain outstanding. Anyone who has knowledge of this incident should take no action but call police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Department's TEXT TIP LINE at 50411."
President Donald Trump on August 5 in reference to the attack: "Local 'youths' and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released. They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it's going to happen now!" Trump said.
"If D.C. doesn't get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they're not going to get away with it anymore. Perhaps it should have been done a long time ago," the president added.
President Donald Trump said on Truth Social on Sunday: "I'm going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before. The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY," he wrote on Truth Social.
What Happens Next
Trump is scheuled to hold a press conference at 10 a.m. ET on Monday about law enforcement iin D.C.
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