Three teens, two men arrested for armed carjacking in Southeast Baltimore, police say
BALTIMORE -- Five suspects were arrested Monday after an armed carjacking in Southeast Baltimore, according to police.
Officers responded to the 300 block of Elreno Street around 10:00 p.m. on December 30 to investigate a carjacking.
The victim told police that he was at the intersection of Bank Street and Elreno Street when a dark-colored vehicle approached him. He said two men exited the vehicle with a handgun and demanded that he get out of his vehicle.
The suspects then fled in the two vehicles, heading southbound towards Eastern Avenue.
OnStar tracked the carjackers
Police said the victim's vehicle was equipped with OnStar, which allowed them to track it to the 1200 block of Bridge Crossing Road in Essex, Baltimore County.
When officers responded to the location and spotted the stolen vehicle, the suspects got and ran.
Police ended up arresting five people - three boys, 15, 16, and 17 years old, and two men, 18, and 19 years old.
Police said they also found a Glock 17 replica on one of the teen suspects.
Both the suspects' vehicle and the carjacked vehicle were recovered.
Juvenile crime in Baltimore
The rise of Juvenile crime in Baltimore has been a concern for Maryland leaders for some time.
Last Sunday, a 9-year-old was arrested along with five other suspects for allegedly carjacking a 32-year-old woman in Southeast Baltimore.
On Nov. 1, Maryland's Juvenile Reform Act took effect, permitting children aged 10 to 12 to face charges for specific offenses such as gun possession and auto theft. The law also increases transparency by enabling the state's attorney's office to review cases involving juveniles under the oversight of the Department of Juvenile Services.
Other changes to juvenile justice laws include the extension of time limits on juvenile probation and the increase of misdemeanor offenses from six months to a one-year probation period.
The Baltimore Police Department launched a partnership with residents called Safe Growth to combat juvenile crime in the city. The program aims to improve high-crime areas through improved lighting, surveillance cameras, and illegal dumping prevention.
