William Woodson, a 26-year-old resident of Southeast Washington, D.C., has been indicted by a D.C. Superior Court grand jury on three felony charges stemming from an incident in July 2023. The charges include one count of first-degree child cruelty and one count of assault with significant bodily injury against a minor. Woodson is also facing an additional felony charge related to conduct directed at another adult on the same day. These charges are connected to an alleged assault on a two-year-old child at the Mount Vernon Square metro station.
U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department announced the charges. Woodson is currently detained pending the outcome of the case.
According to police affidavits, on July 24, 2023, around 11:20 a.m., the victim's mother was walking down an escalator at the metro station when Woodson allegedly approached from behind and kicked the two-year-old, causing the child to fall and sustain injuries. The child's mother pursued Woodson and provided information to law enforcement after calling 911.
Metropolitan Police Department officers located Woodson shortly after the incident. Medical personnel assessed the child's injuries, which included a bleeding head, and recommended immediate transport to Children’s Hospital. During the journey to the hospital, the child lost consciousness. The child was hospitalized for about twelve hours, diagnosed with a mild concussion, and later released.
The Metropolitan Police Department and the Metropolitan Transit Police Department are conducting the investigation, while Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Ballou is prosecuting the case.
The indictment is a formal charge, and all defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.