Teen charged in fatal D.C. carjacking was freed after earlier arrest

[Fiendish Thingy]

2. I guess you missed this part:

A 15-year-old girl, who D.C. police say was involved in a carjacking and crash that killed another girl Thursday, had been placed in the custody of the city’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services a week earlier because she faced robbery and theft charges. But a judge said she ordered the girl released after the agency said it had no available housing for her.

She’s a minor, in the Juvenile Justice system, and not considered a “prisoner”.

She’s probably in a juvenile detention facility now, but prior to this incident, she was likely not considered a candidate for detention, but rather placement in a group home pending adjudication of her crimes.

Most states are extremely reluctant to incarcerate juveniles for anything but the most serious crimes (rape, murder); even red states will often first charge the minor as an adult before holding them in detention pending trial.