3 Charged In Elkridge Library Burglaries: Police

ELKRIDGE, MD — The construction site for the new Elkridge library was burglarized five times recently, and authorities announced on Monday that there have been multiple arrests in connection with the crimes. Police said that the burglary suspects took copper wire and other items from the site in the 6500 block of Washington Boulevard.

The complete rebuild of the Elkridge branch has been a major construction project along Route 1. When complete, the new library will be more than double the size of its predecessor and will more than quintuple the size of the senior center, according to county officials. The new Elkridge library is slated for completion in March 2018.

Just as progress has been clipping along on Washington Boulevard, police said burglars repeatedly struck the construction site.

Three people have been charged, and there is an arrest warrant out for a fourth suspect, police reported on Monday.

The following face charges of burglary, theft, theft scheme and destruction of property, according to officials:

• Michael Gregory Cheeks, 29, of Beehler Avenue in Baltimore
• Lennard Jerrod Darby, 28, of Eloise Lane in Edgewood
• Tyrone Howard, 30, of Windy Branch Way in Edgewood

According to police, the burglaries took place over the course of the past three months.

Howard County police crime blotters dating as far back as September document the site being burgled:

• Most recently, power tools were taken from construction containers and the library under construction on Nov. 7 to 8.
• Construction tools were stolen from the library under construction and power tools were taken from a container in the parking lot, where a lock was cut, sometime between Oct. 19 and 20.
• Copper wire, copper pipe and a brass balancing valve were stolen between Oct. 7 and 10. The gate was forced open, and a wall was broken to get into the construction site.
• Copper wire was stolen from the library under construction between Sept. 15 and 16.

File photo.