Glen Burnie Juvenile Arrested For Breaking Into Over 30 Cars

GLEN BURNIE, MD — A 17-year-old Glen Burnie man was arrested for breaking into over 30 vehicles between Admiral Heights and Germantown Homewood communities, police said.

At about 4:08 a.m. July 6, officers responded to the area of Cedar Park Road and Fisk Circle in the Admiral Heights community for a report of a suspicious person inside a vehicle, possibly being sick, police said.

Officers located a man in the passenger side of a parked vehicle in the 1700 block of Cedar Park Rd. The man fled on foot, dropped a backpack and took off his shirt, police said. The shirtless suspect was apprehended at West Street and Admiral Drive.

Officers checked the area and discovered numerous vehicles with their interior lights activated, some of which appeared to have been ransacked, police said. None of the vehicles showed signs of forced entry and most owners reported that they left their vehicles unlocked.

The backpack dropped by the fleeing suspect was stolen from a vehicle on Ridgewood Street, and other suspected stolen property was recovered inside the backpack, police said.

The 17 year old was charged with 5 counts of theft from vehicle and 26 counts of rogue and vagabond. He was released to a guardian.

Thefts from vehicles are up 78% over the same time period as last year. In 90% of the thefts the vehicles are either unlocked or there are no signs of forced entry, police told Patch.

Admiral Heights, in particular, has seen an increase in thefts since June 1. Officers and civilian employees went door to door in Admiral Heights to distribute written information about preventing thefts from vehicles June 29.

Police remind citizens to lock your vehicle every time you leave it, even if you are just running inside for a few minutes. If you see someone checking vehicle door handles or believe they might be looking into parked vehicles please call police at 410-268-4141 or 911 in an emergency.

Patch File Photo