A 12-year-old boy accused of breaking into car dealerships and stealing cars now stands accused in 10 cases – but he can’t be charged because of a Maryland law. Here’s an update.
A 12-year-old boy accused in a string of car thefts and car dealership break-ins in Maryland now stands accused in a 10th case, authorities say.
The 12-year-old is suspected of committing a series of crimes but cannot be charged because of a Maryland juvenile justice law.
Police say the D.C. resident has broken into Porsche, BMW, Jaguar and Audi dealerships, and sometimes taken cars. Surveillance video shows him jumping through a window, rifling through offices and getting behind the wheel of a van.
In the most recent case, the boy was stopped by University of Maryland police officers at about 11:40 p.m. Sunday near Guilford Drive and Hartwick Road. An officer saw him riding an e-scooter on the sidewalk and went to talk with him, but he jumped off the scooter and ran.
Additional officers arrived to look for the boy and found him hiding behind dumpsters on a loading dock, police said.
Officers learned the suspect was just 12 and saw a black Tesla parked nearby with the trunk open.
“It was discovered that the e-scooter the juvenile was operating did not belong to him and that the juvenile was in possession of a key fob belonging to the black Tesla. The vehicle came back to a dealership in Montgomery County,” a statement from police said.
The boy was released to a parent and not charged.
Under legislation passed in Maryland in 2022, children under 13 cannot be charged with property crimes.
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“The system we are stuck in now has allowed these repeated occasions to occur,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy previously told News4.
Maryland state legislators passed a revised juvenile justice bill earlier this year that’s set to go into effect Nov. 1. The bill broadens consequences for 10 to 12-year-olds who commit crimes. It also expands probation, creates diversion programs and details when state’s attorneys can review certain juvenile cases.
According to the University of Maryland Police Department’s tally, the boy is suspected in 10 cases between the beginning of March and Sunday.
