DC mayor on carjacker who stole car from doctor, then killed him by running him over: 'Probably didn't mean to kill anybody'

Democrat Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington, D.C., appeared to minimize a shocking carjacking in her city that, once again, ended with the victim losing his life.

Police say 33-year-old Rakesh Patel, a D.C. area MedStar physician, was pronounced dead after at least one carjacker allegedly stole his vehicle and then killed him with it.

Dr. Rakesh Patel (Image source: WTTG-TV screenshot)

According to WTTG-TV, Patel stopped at his girlfriend’s house Tuesday night to drop off an item. As the couple hugged goodbye, Patel noticed his Mercedes sedan beginning to move. Police say Patel then pursued his stolen car.

At some point, the carjacker(s) struck Patel and continued driving. Patel was pronounced dead at the scene.

The next day, police located Patel's abandoned Mercedes E350 near the Maryland state-line, the Washington Post reported. The Washington Police Department also released a video of two persons of interest they believe are connected to the fatal hit-and-run, but have not yet made any arrests.

How did Bowser respond?

On one hand, Bowser claimed "there is no more important issue for us right now than dealing with people who are committing crimes in our city." On the other hand, Bowser seemed to minimize the seriousness of Patel's apparent homicide.

“We saw one person, who probably didn’t intend to kill anybody, but did, and devastated a family,” Bowser said.

Carjackings have plagued the nation's capital in recent years.

"Carjackings in the District spiked 200 percent from 2019 to 2021, and continue to rise this year. Auto thefts are up 9 percent in 2022. D.C. police and other jurisdictions have formed a carjacking task force with the FBI to confront the problem," the Washington Post reported.

The most notorious incident happened last March when two teenage girls carjacked Mohammad Anwar, a Pakistani immigrant who moved to the United States to make a better life for his family. During the course of the carjacking, Anwar remained connected to the car as the girls sped away. Just seconds later, the car crashed, flipped on its side, and flung Anwar's body into a building; he later died from his injuries.

Both teenage girls received plea bargains in which they pleaded guilty to felony murder. They were both sentenced to remain in care of D.C. juvenile officials until they reach the age of 21.