Authorities in Maryland expressed their frustration after a 16-year-old was released hours after he was arrested for allegedly breaking into 121 cars in just one night. The teen was released quickly due to the state classifying the crimes as lower level.
Authorities said that after the teen’s release, over 12 more vehicles were broken into the following day, though he was not linked to those crimes, the New York Post reported.
The Laurel Police Department said they arrested the teen late last week after they received several reports of auto break-ins in the early hours of May 4. The accused 16-year-old is said to have committed the crimes with two other teens.
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Surveillance footage showed the teen suspects patrolling neighborhoods and shattering car windows to steal whatever items they could lay their hands on. The gang of teens were also riding in a stolen car.
“They were just simply going through neighborhoods and targets of opportunity, breaking into cars,” Laurel Police Chief Russ Hamill said in an interview with News4. “If there was something in there, they’d steal. If there was nothing in there, they’d move to another car.”
The 16-year-old was ultimately arrested at his home, and authorities found stolen items including 20 car keys and credit cards. Hamill said investigations “managed to link him to all 121 events throughout the region.”
“I would like to tell you that’s the end of the story there. But that’s not the end of the story,” Hamill stated.
Laurel Police and the Maryland State Attorney’s office had asked for the teen to be held at the juvenile detention center because of the gravity of the crimes he was accused of committing after he was arrested. But the teen was ultimately released because authorities cited his clean criminal history before his arrest and also highlighted the crimes he committed were “lower level.”
“I would offer well over 100 cases in one night, gives you a pretty good record,” Hamill said. “These were not violent crimes, as if that lessens the impact on those 121 victims.”
“Yes, five hours after we were at his house, he was released back into the community, back into the environment that allowed him to be out roaming the streets in all of these counties, late at night and in the early morning, doing these crimes to begin with,” he continued.
Though there were subsequent auto break-ins the following day, Hamill did not say if the teens in question were involved in that. “We’re not gonna lay every theft from auto in the region on him and his group, but I will note we had 17 the next night,” he said.
Authorities said the two other teen suspects will be arrested in no time. “I have little hope that there will be further accountability for him due to this broken system,” Hamill said. “Due to this gap in concern for his safety, and the public’s safety.”
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