4th Suspect Sentenced In 2023 Kidnapping Of 83-Year-Old Veteran From His Arlington Home

ARLINGTON, VA — The final suspect in the 2023 kidnapping of an 83-year-old veteran from Arlington was sentenced in federal court on Tuesday to six years in prison, according to authorities.

K’la Hargrove, 27, pleaded guilty on March 13 to aiding and abetting three others in the kidnapping of the 83-year-old from his Arlington home on Dec. 30, 2023. Hargrove, Phillip Anderson, 37, Anthony Brockington, 22, and Damien Griffin, 23, traveled to the victim’s home with the intention of robbing him, court records say.

“Hargrove’s boyfriend, who was incarcerated, owed $4,000 to Anderson for drugs, and had performed yardwork and handiwork for the victim,” according to court records. “Hargrove, who had previously met the victim through her boyfriend, contacted the victim and arrived at the residence first. After the victim allowed Hargrove into his home, some of her co-conspirators, all of whom were armed, forced their way inside the home, assaulted the victim, and held him at gunpoint while demanding he give them money.”

After the victim told the co-conspirators that he did not have enough money in his home, they took him to a “trap house” in Washington, D.C., court records say. Once there, they physically restrained and assaulted the Arlington man, forcing him to transfer $7,000 to the bank account of a person Griffin knew.

“While the victim was being held, Griffin used the victim’s credit card to make purchases from McDonalds, DoorDash, and a gas station, and attempted to purchase gift cards at a CVS Pharmacy,” according to court records. “During the night of Dec. 31, 2023, Griffin and Brockington, at Anderson’s direction, returned to the victim’s home, broke into a locker, and stole firearms. They transferred the firearms to Anderson, who later sold them.”

On Jan. 1, 2024, the victim escaped from the trap house and returned home. After a neighbor called 911 about the kidnapping, the victim was taken to the hospital to be treated for the injuries he received during his confinement, according to authorities. He had sustained fractures to his sternum, hands, and broken ribs, as well as lacerations to his head and face.

After pleading guilty on Oct. 24, 2024, to a conspiracy to kidnap charge, Griffin was sentenced on Jan. 30 to 17 years and six months in prison, court records say.

Anderson was sentenced on May 1 to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty on Jan. 16 to conspiracy to kidnap and to kidnapping the 83-year-old Arlington man, court records say.

Brockington pleaded guilty on Jan. 30 to kidnapping and aiding and abetting kidnapping charges, according to court records.