WASHINGTON - Delonte Mitchell, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for attacking his then-girlfriend, a child, and a dog at a home in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mitchell pleaded guilty in June 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to assault with significant bodily injury, second-degree cruelty to children, and cruelty to animals. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 42 to 70 months. The Honorable Michael Ryan accepted the plea and sentenced Mitchell accordingly. After his prison term, Mitchell will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 27, 2019, at approximately 3 a.m., Mitchell returned to a home he shared with a woman and child in the 2700 block of Douglas Road SE. The woman had told Mitchell that she wanted a break from their relationship. Enraged, Mitchell struck her several times in her face with his fists, causing one of her eyes to swell shut. He also struck the child in the face and body. He then picked up the woman’s dog and threw the dog in the air, towards the ceiling. The dog fell to the floor and died from its injuries.
Mitchell was apprehended in Maryland on Nov. 21, 2019. He was brought to the District of Columbia in March 2020, and he has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, which investigated the case. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Washington Humane Society and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Kenechukwu Okocha, Deputy Chief of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section, Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones and Victim/Witness Advocate Lu Lan.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Galloway, Eric Nguyen, and Eliot Folsom, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
