12-year-old caught again in Maryland with stolen car, sparks concern over juvenile crime

by Brad Bell
Mon, September 9th 2024 at 5:40 PM

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (7News) — A 12-year-old boy who, according to police, has been on a crime spree for months has been caught again with a stolen car.

This time it happened in College Park, Maryland. According to the University of Maryland Police Department (UMDPD), an officer spotted the 12-year-old riding a stolen electric scooter on a sidewalk along Guilford Drive last night. When the officer approached, the child tried to hide. Then police spotted a stolen Tesla parked nearby and found the car’s key fob in the 12-year-old’s pocket.

According to a statement from UMDPD, it was the 10th time campus police have caught the boy with either a stolen car or stolen scooter since March. In each case, he was quickly released because of his age. Maryland law does not permit criminal charges for anyone under 13 years old who is accused of property crimes.

7News has reported on the extraordinary crime spree for weeks. The 12-year-old has allegedly been breaking into car dealerships in Montgomery County looking for keys to cars to steal. He has been caught and released 10 times in Montgomery County as well. … The case is prompting renewed calls for change in the juvenile justice laws, which also don’t allow police to question the child.

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