Photo by Adam Gerard

D.C. police officers have in custody two teens in connection with the assault and robbery of a Marine veteran outside of a McDonald’s. Two 17-year-olds, one male and one female, were arrested yesterday, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

The incident occurred around 9:40 p.m., February 12, on the 900 block of E Street NW. The victim, Christopher A. Marquez, told the Daily Caller that the attack happened after several black youths asked if he believed that black lives matter. After ignoring them, he was called a racist, he said, though he continued to eat. After leaving the establishment, Marquez was knocked unconscious.

Marquez, a 30-year-old Hispanic man, is a veteran of Iraq and attends American University. He also unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2014 in California.

Police released video footage a week after the incident, asking for public assistance to help identify the suspects.

The male suspect was charged with aggravated assault and the female suspect was charged with robbery, according to police. The investigation is ongoing.