15-year-old accused of killing Lyft driver who formerly worked as interpreter for U.S. Special Forces

WASHINGTON (TCD) — A 15-year-old male was taken into custody last week several months after he allegedly shot and killed a ride-share driver who previously worked as an interpreter for the U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan.

Nasrat Ahmad Yar, 31, was found shot inside his vehicle just after midnight on Monday, July 3, 2023. Washington Metropolitan Police arrived at the scene on the 400 block of 11th St. Northeast and transported Yar to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.

On Friday, March 1, Washington Metropolitan Police announced members of the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force took the teen into custody on a charge of first-degree murder while armed.

Just days after the shooting, police released surveillance footage from an alley near the scene that showed four boys running down it. Assistant Chief of the Investigative Services Bureau Leslie Parsons said in a news conference that the video and tips from the public were “instrumental in solving this case.”

According to Parsons, Ahmad Yar had dropped off a passenger and was sitting in his car when “several young suspects” approached him. Investigators believe the suspects could have been trying to carjack Ahmad Yar, and during the incident, one of the suspects fired his gun.

Police are continuing to search for the other suspects.

The Associated Press reports Ahmad Yar worked as an interpreter for the U.S. Special Forces in his native country of Afghanistan for about 10 years. Ahmad Yar and his family moved to the United States after the military pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021. They reportedly initially moved to Pennsylvania, but relocated to Alexandria, Virginia, because he did not feel safe there.

Parsons said, “The reckless actions of these teens cost a man’s life and shattered a family just starting out on their journey in this country.”

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