16-year-old involved in 121 car break-ins in one night, police say

LAUREL, Md. (WJLA) – A 16-year-old boy in Maryland was involved in more than 100 car break-ins in one night, according to police.

The break-ins happened overnight May 3 into May 4, with dozens of people waking up to find their car windows smashed and items stolen.

Police said there were 121 break-ins in total, stretching across the counties of Laurel, Howard, Anna Arundel and Prince George’s.

In many instances, the group of thieves were caught on camera, seen smashing through car windows.

It took police a couple weeks, but last Friday, Laurel Police Department Chief Russ Hammill said they found the leader of the group.

“We arrested a young man, 16 years of age, and managed to link him to all 121 events throughout the region,” Hammill said. “A search warrant was served at his home, resulting in the recovery of numerous credit cards, over 20 sets of vehicle keys, and other evidence linking him to these crimes.”

Despite the alleged crime spree, the teen was released hours after being arrested.

Because of his age, the suspect was taken before the Department of Juvenile Services intake unit, where police were told to release him immediately.

Hammill said he is extremely frustrated with Maryland’s “catch-and-release” policy for juveniles.

“I have little hope there will be further ability for him due to this broken system,” he said. “They consider this a lower-level crime. I urge them to come to my community meetings and hear how ‘lower level’ it is.”

The Department of Juvenile Services said they could not comment on the police chief’s concerns due to confidentiality laws for juvenile cases. They did say, however, that the teenager’s future will be decided by the courts, not by the Department of Juvenile Services.

Police said the 16-year-old will face charges of motor vehicle theft and multiple thefts from automobiles.

Police also said two more suspects have been identified and are expected to be taken into custody soon.

Copyright 2025 WJLA via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.