Two 17-year-olds, Jailen Lucas and Kelvin Thomas, Jr., both from Washington, D.C., were arrested by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and U.S. Marshals in connection with the murder of Eric Tarpinian-Jachym. The victim was a 21-year-old intern with the U.S. House of Representatives who was killed on June 30, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro commented on the case: “Eric Tarpinian, a senior at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst was interning in our nation’s capital, pursuing his passion for public service when he was fatally gunned down. . .an innocent bystander caught in a violent act not meant for him,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “He was shot four times and he leaves behind a grieving mother Tamara, father Robert, a brother Jeremy and sister Angela. This is why from day one I advocated for criminal jurisdiction over younger individuals with family court records. Eric’s murder could have been prevented if we had captured these two, who have a documented history of family court violence.”
According to investigators, three armed suspects exited a stolen vehicle that had stopped abruptly on 7th Street NW and fired at two young men believed to be from an opposing neighborhood who had jumped off a bicycle. Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, from Granby, Massachusetts, was struck by gunfire as an unintended target.
One suspect was located in Northwest D.C., where law enforcement surrounded his residence before taking him into custody without incident after announcing the presence of a Special Operations Group tactical K-9 unit. The second suspect was apprehended in the 2600 block of 24th Street NE.
Officials present at the announcement included U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces S. Serralta; Mayor Muriel Bowser; Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department; and FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Phillip Bates.
The Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF), operational since June 2004 following authorization under the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000 (https://www.congress.gov/bill/106th-congress/house-bill/3048), collaborates with more than 100 federal, state, and local agencies across eight offices in the region.
Since its inception, CARFTF has apprehended over 102,700 fugitives (https://www.usmarshals.gov/capital-area-regional-fugitive-task-force), focusing efforts on capturing dangerous offenders to improve community safety.
The Special Operations Group (SOG) supports complex law enforcement missions globally for the U.S. Marshals Service and assists in protecting federal judicial operations under the Department of Justice.
Authorities remind that criminal charges are allegations until proven beyond reasonable doubt in court.
