Suspect in congressional intern's death accused of killing 17-year-old girlfriend

A third suspect arrested in connection with the June murder of a congressional intern is connected to his own girlfriend’s death days later, the U.S. attorney for D.C. announced Thursday.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said 18-year-old Naqwan Lucas is in custody in the killing of Eric Tarpinian-Jachym.

Four days after Tarpinian-Jachym was killed by gunfire not intended for him, a 17-year-old girl was killed on the Fourth of July in another homicide connected to Lucas, her boyfriend.

Zoey Kelley’s mother is left to wonder what her daughter was thinking when she was killed.

"Was my child afraid of him?" she asked.

Shamika Kelley described Zoey, who had a twin sister, as a “socialite.”

"When the cousins got together, it was like, 'Oh no! Here comes Zoey and Zaniya!'" she said.

"Her body was found in one of those storage containers, where she was covered with blankets and other items, and she was in the closet of a roommate of Naqwan’s father’s apartment," Pirro said.

Lucas is charged with Zoey’s murder.

A third suspect was arrested in the June murder of congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym. News4's Paul Wagner reports.

Tarpinian-Zachym was a college student from Massachusetts interning on Capitol Hill when he was struck and killed by a stray bullet June 30 while walking outside the Washington Convention Center.

Lucas and his accomplices allegedly were looking for rivals to kill. They got into a stolen black Acura armed with two rifles and a pistol and put on masks and gloves, police said.

Near the convention center, all three got out of the car and opened fire when they saw two people riding tandem on a bike.

Tarpinian-Jachym was struck and killed, police said. Other rounds hit one of the people on the bike and a woman walking nearby.

The suspects abandoned the Acura in District Heights, Maryland, police said, and took a ride share back to D.C.

“His life was about being an intern and living in Washington,” Pirro said. “I spoke to his mother again today. His birthday was two days ago, and she thought that it was an angel that came down and helped the police to make an arrest in this case.

“It was a dream until he walked out onto the street at 10:28 at night and got shot by a group of punks,” Pirro said.

U.S. marshals got a tip Lucas was in a home in Germantown, Maryland, Wednesday night. When no one answered at the door, marshals released a dog into the home, and Lucas was arrested after jumping out a window.

"I'm saddened about that, that [Tarpinian-Jachym] had to lose his life,” Zoey Kelley’s mother said. “And then he turn around and go out and take another person’s, take another life? Are you kidding me? What’s on your mind? What could've been on this young man's mind?"

She said she’s getting through these past few months through prayer and family.

A hearing for Lucas is scheduled for Nov. 7.

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