4 teens released to parents after arrest for carjacking in northeast Baltimore
BALTIMORE -- Four teens were released to the custody of their parents after being arrested for an unarmed carjacking in northeast Baltimore on Thursday, Dec. 12, according to police.
Around 8:37 a.m., Baltimore Police officers responded to a gas station in the 5600 block of York Road for an unarmed carjacking.
Once on the scene, officers found that an 81-year-old woman had been approached by a male between 16 to 20 years old. The person grabbed her keys from her hand and pushed his way inside her vehicle. He fled the scene in her sedan.
Around 12:45 p.m., officials found the vehicle in the 5400 block of York Road where they arrested a 15-year-old girl and three 15-year-old boys.
The three boys are not strangers to law enforcement and have prior handgun violation, burglary and aggravated assault arrests, according to police.
Officers took all four teens to the Juvenile Justice Center where they were released to the custody of their parents, police said.
Addressing Juvenile Crime
Youth carjackings are up 233% this year, compared to 2023, and robberies involving juveniles are up 44%. Several categories did see declines this year, including youth auto thefts, burglaries and homicides, according to data from Baltimore Police.
Baltimore lawmakers have worked to address the surge in juvenile crime this year. According to Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates, juvenile crime arrests increased by 146% compared to 2023.
Bates pointed to truancy as part of the reason why teens find themselves in trouble.
Maryland lawmakers have also worked to crack down on juvenile violence.
In November, the Juvenile Reform Act went into effect, allowing the Department of Juvenile Services to charge children between the ages of 10 and 12 with certain offenses, like gun possession and auto theft.
The new law also allows the state's attorney's office to review cases against juveniles under the supervision of the Department of Juvenile Services.
Bates said the changes provide transparency and accountability by allowing his office to see how the DJS is handling young people.
The law further extends the time limits of juvenile probation and increases the sentence for a misdemeanor offense from six months to a one-year probation period.
