Marcus Hazel, a 32-year-old Washington, D.C. resident, admitted to the act of strangling his girlfriend, Sandy Watts, effectively entering a guilty plea in Superior Court. This particular development comes via an announcement from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Despite the Government’s objections, Hazel was unexpectedly released on bail pending his sentencing scheduled on March 20, 2026.
Recounting the details of the harrowing event which occurred on November 28, 2025, the argument precipitated over a missing cell phone, spiraled when Watts’ offered hers to Hazel, a gesture met with discontent, anger turned physical and Hazel’s hands found their way around her neck, and in trying to leave Watts asked him severally to exit her premises, but her plea only escalated the violence resulting in the near loss of her consciousness when he pressed aggressively, depriving her of air and then fled on foot, as described in the evidence provided by the Government.
Hazel faced immediate arrest the following day, November 29, and has been under custody since then, the Metropolitan Police Department was joined by Interim Chief Jeffrey W. Carroll to confirm the arrest and an ongoing investigation, further communication clarified the case details being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elias Feldman of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia…