Black Teen Spent 7 Months on House Arrest for a Carjacking Despite Being at School When It Happened

Nationwide — Deryl Bright Jr., a 17-year-old African American teen from Baltimore, Maryland, spent seven months under house arrest after police accused him of taking part in a violent carjacking. However, Bright was at school when the crime happened. Despite evidence supporting his alibi, he was arrested, placed on an ankle monitor, and restricted to his home for months. Prosecutors eventually dropped the charges only after a reporter questioned why the case was still active.

The carjacking happened shortly after 9 a.m. on Jan. 23. Three Black teenagers allegedly followed a man from a McDonald’s to his car and attacked him. One suspect took the man’s phone and wallet before running away, while the other two tried to steal his vehicle. The victim jumped onto the hood of the car, forcing the teenagers to flee. Police later identified the only suspect whose face was uncovered as Bright, even though investigators described that person as about six inches shorter and heavier than Bright.

Bright was actually heading to his first-period agriculture class at Green Street Academy when the robbery occurred. The public charter school required students to wear uniforms, but none of the three suspects in the surveillance footage appeared to be wearing one. Two school officials later confirmed to The Baltimore Sun that Bright was at school during the time of the crime. Police nevertheless arrested him at school about a month later and took blood and urine samples before placing him on house arrest with an ankle monitor.

The restrictions severely limited Bright’s daily life. He was allowed to leave home only for school, work, and medical appointments. He also stopped working as a pharmacy technician because the violent allegations made it difficult for him to continue his job. A judge prevented him from attending his high school prom, a family reunion, and a Florida vacation his mother had planned as a graduation trip. Bright told reporter Kate Cimini that the situation left him feeling isolated and punished for something he did not do, according to Atlanta Black Star.

His charges stayed active for seven months until Cimini questioned prosecutors about why the case had not been resolved. The Baltimore State Attorney’s Office dismissed the charges the following day, and authorities removed Bright’s ankle monitor several days later. The state attorney’s office and the public defender’s office blamed each other for the failure to correct the case sooner. Baltimore police, meanwhile, blamed unnamed school officials who had identified Bright from surveillance footage.

Bright can seek to have the case expunged, which would remove it from public records. However, his family would have to agree not to sue as part of that process, so they are still considering their options. The case also does not indicate whether police ever arrested the teenagers who actually committed the carjacking. After months of restrictions, Bright is now free of the charges, but his family is still deciding what steps to take next.

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