12-year-old caught again in Maryland with stolen car, sparks concern over juvenile crime by Brad Bell Mon, September 9th

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Full disclosure: WJLA is owned by Sinclair.

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.

{snip}

[XanaDUer2]

1. Parents? Guardians? Nt

[magicarpet]

3. Feral child,.. minimal to no parental supervision or instruction.

[elleng]

2. Think we should change the law?

[CousinIT]

4. I think they should change the parents. N/t

[elleng]

5. NO DOUBT!

[Irish_Dem]

6. Time for this child to go to juvi jail.

And get some intervention with a trained clinical team.

[SheltieLover]

8. Absolutely!

And some mandatory multisystemiic therapy for mom and dad!

[Irish_Dem]

9. Yes I agree.

Yes parents need intervention.

I did some of this kind of work for kids in juvi jail.
And some of them were not bad kids.
The parents were another story.

[SheltieLover]

10. Only multi systemic therapy is evidence based for conduct disorder

So much of this is transgenerational. For example, the rethugs fist fighting at a gop meeting yesterday.

[MichMan]

11. Not permitted under current Maryland law

Maryland law does not permit criminal charges for anyone under 13 years old who is accused of property crimes.

… The case is prompting renewed calls for change in the juvenile justice laws, which also don’t allow police to question the child.

[Irish_Dem]

12. I was just stating what needs to happen from a clinical standpoint.

Not a legal one.

Sad state of affairs.

[msongs]

7. maybe better to wait til he is a serial killer. then they will charge him nt