Police in Maryland are trying their best to stop a 12-year-old suspect from burglarizing car dealerships outside of Washington, D.C., but their efforts are severely hampered by the fact he’s too young to be arrested or jailed for most nonviolent offenses under the state’s juvenile justice laws.
The kid – who isn’t even old enough to drive the cars he’s stealing – has been caught at least eight times by cops, but every single time, they’ve had to release him, according to Automotive News. It’s not just the cars he’s after either. He allegedly snagged some candy bars from a Jaguar showroom before taking a car. At an Audi dealership, he grabbed some ice cream from a freezer filled with customer snacks after ramming a stolen car into a service bay door. The kid has a lot of interests, clearly.
His latest crime happened just a few days ago. Between 6:20 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., he stole a vehicle from a business in the greater Silver Spring area. It was stopped a short time later and the boy was arrested, according to FOX 5 D.C.
Montgomery County Police say this young suspect, not even old enough to legally drive or vote, burglarized several businesses, including high-end dealerships like Porsche and BMW.
Montgomery County Police are still investigating incidents on these dates:
– August 16th
– August 23rd
– August 24th
– August 26th
– August 27th
– September 2nd
FOX 5 was shown some of the damage to the doors at the Bethesda Porsche, which police say was targeted just before 3 a.m. this past Monday. We’re told the suspect was seen on surveillance video allegedly trying to find keys and trying to push his way into the Porsche showroom. He did not gain access.
Unfortunately for dealers who are worried they could be next, there’s very little police can do to stop this kid, according to WJLA ABC 7. It all comes down to juvenile justice laws in Maryland.
“In the case of someone who is under 13, they are completely immune from accountability or consequences of almost all property crimes,” said Jason Johnson with the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund.
“In the case of someone who is under 13, they are completely immune from accountability or consequences of almost all property crimes,” said Jason Johnson with the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund.
“The Maryland juvenile justice system is set up so that there are little if any consequences for most juveniles involvement in criminal activity,” said Johnson.
[…]
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown told 7News this week that he expects the legislature will once again be asked to get a little tougher during the next general assembly session.
I really just hope this kid gets the help he needs. Sure, what he’s doing is wrong, but at just 12 years old, this is emblematic of a much bigger issue.