6 people charged with strangulation in 8 days across DC

WASHINGTON — Six people in D.C. were arrested and charged with felony strangulation in just eight days. The victims include a 3-year-old child and a 72-year-old woman who was also punched and threatened with a knife.

“The data shows that people strangled by an intimate partner are 800% more likely to be the victim of a homicide,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “Recognizing this danger, we advocated for a felony charge for strangulation, and we are grateful that the Council passed, and the Mayor signed, emergency legislation temporarily creating a specific felony. We have aggressively charged this crime since it was enacted in July 2023. Now is the time to make the legislation permanent and to create a presumption that people who engage in this life-threatening conduct will be held in jail after their arrest.”

The first suspect, 27-year-old Deangelo Dunn, was arrested on Feb 5 after police say he strangled a woman because she refused to give him money. He was later released. 

That same day, police say 58-year-old Michael Alston was arrested and charged with strangulation and assault with a dangerous weapon after he allegedly punched a 72-year-old woman. He is accused of also strangling her and threatening her with a knife. The woman managed to get away and Alston was arrested. He has since been released on GPS monitoring. 

Two days later, police arrested 63-year-old Ronald McKinnon. A woman called 911 saying McKinnon assaulted and strangled her and trapped her in the basement of his home. He was arrested and a judge ordered McKinnon to be held without bond in regards to another charge.

On Feb. 10, police arrested 40-year-old Marc Gatling for an alleged attack on a woman a day earlier. Officials say the two were in an argument and the woman left but later returned to get her belongings. 

“While she was there, Gatling allegedly tried to prevent her from leaving, eventually pushing her down and strangling her,” officials said in a press release. 

Gatling was presented to a judge on Feb. 10 and was released. 

Two days later, police say 27-year-old Leonel Bonilla was arrested and charged with strangulation and aggravated assault. He is accused of grabbing a woman around the neck so that she couldn’t breathe and eventually lost consciousness. The two were reportedly arguing in a car when the alleged attack happened. A judge ordered Bonilla to be held without bond regarding another charge.

The next day, police arrested and charged 40-year-old Lontez Williams with strangulation and child cruelty, for allegedly squeezing the neck of a three-year-old child by wrapping his arm around it, and then hurling the child victim into a couch when his family intervened to stop him. A judge ordered he be held without bond regarding another charge.

D.C. Code 22-404.04 was created through the Prioritizing Public Safety Emergency Amendment Act of 2023. Since it went into effect in July 2023, 26 people have been charged with felony strangulation. 

In January, police arrested 34-year-old Joseph Coles for reportedly strangling a woman he met on a dating app. Officials say the woman went to Coles’ home to bring him food. While she was there, Coles got upset and allegedly began strangling the woman while holding her pinned against a wall. He was released on the simple assault charge and, after further investigation, was charged by superseding complaint with felony strangulation.

 Anyone with information about any of the above cases may contact detectives at (202) 727-9099 or text the department’s tip line at 50411. 

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