Community members fed up with crime at Pikesville Howard Johnson hotel

BALTIMORE -- Years of crime at a Howard Johnson hotel in Pikesville have community members demanding action to be taken.

Dozens of Baltimore County residents, along with community and state leaders, discussed the crime concerns of the hotel during a community walk Thursday evening.

"What concerns me is the kind of activities that go on in this hotel," said Dellyne Hinton, the pastor of St. Paul Praise and Worship Center.

Ryan Coleman, President of the Randallstown NAACP, said violence inside the walls of the hotel dates back nearly a decade.

"We continue to have significant problems at this hotel," Coleman said. "We really need businesses that want to add value to our community and not continue to have criminal activity spewed from this placement."

Residents and community leaders claim the hotel has also been an eyesore and a disruption to the community, and they want the owner, Wyndham Resorts & Hotels, to step in or step aside.

"If it's not good for our community we don't need it," Baltimore County Councilman Julian Jones said. 

Concerning crime

Police reports detail domestic violence calls over the years at the Howard Johnson, including a homicide in 2020 when the body of LaShawnda Sanders was found in the second-floor hallway.

"We all want safe communities," said Maryland Senator Shelly Hettleman.   

WJZ reached out to Wyndham about the community's concerns, but they have yet to respond.