Anne Arundel County Police responded to reports of shots fired along the B&A Trail in Glen Burnie around 5 a.m. Dan Guiliani, worried about his son’s whereabouts, arrived at the crime scene. “As soon as the detective rolled that blanket over man, I saw his shoulders, I saw his hair. And I knew,” he said.

According to charging documents obtained by the Capital Gazette, Johnny Guiliani and another person were walking along the trail when they were approached by several suspects in a stolen vehicle. Two individuals attempted to rob Guiliani, who fought back. “Johnny attacked the guy. Johnny knocked the guy on his ass,” said Dan Guiliani. Investigators say that is when Johnny was shot. “There’s where he died right there man,” he added.

Surveillance video and DNA evidence led investigators to 17-year-old Mactouko Ryan, who is charged with murder and other offenses as an adult. “My hope is they continue doing what they say they’re gonna do. They’re gonna try him as an adult,” said Dan Guiliani. However, Ryan’s attorney is seeking to move the case to juvenile court. “At that bail hearing they were requesting him to be moved to a juvenile facility and the judge said no,” Dan Guiliani said.

Police are still searching for at least three other suspects, whose ages are unknown. “My hope is uh, is uh that he’s held accountable for what he did, you know. And anybody else that was involved for that matter,” said Dan Guiliani.

Anne Arundel County Police confirmed the case remains active and ongoing.

Dan Guiliani cherishes the memory of his son, recalling a heartfelt conversation they had the night before Johnny’s death. “I was blessed. The night before he died I was able to sit with him for two hours and we had a very long conversation. Normal dad and son stuff,” he said. Remembering Johnny, he added, “Johnny was a good guy. He loved his family, loved his friends. Do anything for his friends.”

Have a news tip? Contact Vincent Hill at Vihill@sbgtv.com.

The incident, captured on video and shared on Instagram, has drawn attention to what police describe as an organized crime ring.

The minors, whose crime spree reportedly began in Baltimore City where the car was stolen, are believed to be responsible for multiple burglaries and stolen vehicles in Baltimore and the surrounding area.

Susquehanna Township Police, who made the arrests, said the suspects were released shortly after being taken into custody.

Law enforcement expert Betsy Smith commented on the situation, saying, “You have juveniles that are known to police, that have allegedly committed multiple felonies.” She added, “They’re tied to the string of burglaries. Absolutely. I think we need to call this for what it is, and that is organized crime.”

Baltimore Police confirmed that the juveniles are known to them and are investigating their potential involvement in other recent incidents in the city. Smith suggested that the youths might be acting under the direction of adults, stating, “The adults that are either allegedly committing these crimes with them or are directing them to allegedly commit these crimes. They know that these juveniles are barely going to get punished.”

Smith also advocated for federal involvement, noting, “When you have felonies committed across state lines, that’s enough for the federal law enforcement officers to get involved.”

As the investigation continues, Smith expressed concern over the broader implications of juvenile crime, saying, “People in Maryland and beyond are extremely frustrated when they have been crime victims, knowing the people who are accused of these felonies still will receive minimal or no punishment.”

Have a news tip? Contact Vincent Hill at Vihill@sbgtv.com.

“These folks are going about their daily lives and trying to do the right thing. And it’s unfortunate when they come outside and see their vehicles have been damaged by criminals in the neighborhood,” said Jen Covino, public safety chair for the Federal Hill Neighborhood Association.

Covino noted that property crimes have been escalating in the area. “Unfortunately, property damage is something that has become frequent,” she said.

Covino has personal experience with such crimes. In 2023, a brick through the front window of her home, narrowly missing her newborn baby. “It was in that moment I understood that we have a little bit of an issue here in the city of Baltimore,” she said.

Covino described the recent uptick in crimes as a boiling point for residents. “I think we’re all sick of the excuses in Federal Hill,” she said, calling for more action from police and city leaders.

She urged city officials to address these crimes to prevent further issues.

“I hope that as the mayor, commissioner and others involved continue to make progress on addressing homicides, that they start looking ahead in recognizing that if they fail to address these crimes, these acts of violence and property destruction,” she said, warning that the city might not see the population growth the mayor has been celebrating.

Have a news tip? Contact Vincent Hill at Vihill@sbgtv.com.

Melvin Hunt, a victim of the spree, said, “Lo and behold, my truck window was totally gone. And my SUV’s window was smashed.” Hunt’s vehicles, parked in a church lot, were among those targeted.

“What I’d like to see is — and this is a cliché … a word that gets thrown out in every conversation — is accountability,” Hunt said.

Baltimore Police confirmed officers responded to 35 vandalism cases involving multiple vehicles on Sunday. No arrests were made that day.

Surveillance footage captured what appeared to be juveniles smashing car windows and climbing into vehicles. Some victims reported that valuable items inside their cars were untouched, suggesting the damage was more for amusement than theft.

Hunt criticized the current system for deterring repeat juvenile crime, stating, “Ankle monitors are just, that’s a joke. The kids think it’s a joke,” he said.

Hunt called for stricter consequences, saying, “Make it hurt. If it doesn’t hurt, there’s no lesson learned.” He suggested, “If they’d start just putting whoever they catch, for whatever crime it is, put em in a facility house for 6, 8 months away from their family away from their neighborhoods, outside their comfort zone. Make this a problem to them, maybe something will change.”

Have a news tip? Contact Vincent Hill at Vihill@sbgtv.com.

In West Baltimore, four teenagers were involved in a carjacking, police say.

The suspects were apprehended the following day, and a gun was found inside the stolen vehicle. According to the Baltimore Police Department, three of the four teens had previous arrests for robbery and auto theft.

In East Baltimore, another carjacking occurred, with three suspects described as “armed and dangerous.”

The incidents are part of a troubling trend of increased carjackings citywide, with juveniles responsible for a significant number of cases.

One local resident expressed frustration with the current legal consequences for young offenders.

“They’re gonna get a slap on the wrist and they’re gone.”

Another resident shared the sentiment saying, “I think there definitely need to be more stiffer penalties and I think it will eliminate a lot of the crime.”

Some community members have suggested holding parents accountable for their children’s actions.

“Go get a warrant for the parents and make the parents, set up charges. They need to do the charges that the kid does,” one resident said.

Betsy Smith, a law enforcement expert, commented on the lack of consequences for juvenile offenders.

“I find this extraordinary, although not surprising,” she said. “Crime has to have consequences and obviously these juveniles do not believe that they are going to face any kind of consequences or they would stop doing this stuff.”

While the Baltimore Police Department has not confirmed if the same juveniles are repeatedly involved in these crimes, Smith warned that the problem will persist without systemic changes.

“The system as it in place now in the state of Maryland clearly is not working. At least for this group of juvenile offenders and many others that we talk about, every single week,” she said.

Have a news tip? Contact Vincent Hill at Vihill@sbgtv.com.

“It pretty much happened Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” said one resident, who wished to remain anonymous. “I think as a homeowner you have a right to peace.”

The situation took a turn for the worse June 7, when police were called to the 3900 block of Belle Avenue for reports of a common assault and an armed person. Cellphone footage captured a large crowd and a fight as one of the parties was ending, with a police helicopter seen circling above in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

Last Saturday, another altercation led to a shooting after a party let out. Baltimore Police confirmed they have responded to the home five times in the past month.

Residents allege the homeowner is using a third party to organize the events, charging an entry fee through platforms like TicketLeap. “I just want to know how is this legal,” said a concerned resident.

Attorney Kurt Nachtman, who is not representing the homeowner or any residents, explained that the legality of the parties is a “fine line.” He noted that the most apparent violation would be a noise violation, which carries a fine of up to $1,000 per infraction. More severe penalties, such as jail time, could arise from “running a disorderly house,” but this would require multiple police citations to build a case.

Nachtman added, “I’m not really certain that there’s a lot of criminal liability if it happened off the premises,” referring to the fights and shooting that occurred outside the homeowner’s property.

Residents remain anxious about the future. “At first it was just the music and the noise,” one resident said. “Then it’s people fighting in the street on June 7th. Then the past Saturday, we got a shooting down the street. So it’s obviously escalating.”

The community continues to seek solutions to restore peace and safety to their neighborhood.

Have a news tip? Contact Vincent Hill at vihill@sbgtv.com.

On Tuesday evening, an officer was involved in a shooting at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Laurens Street. Police say the officer was shot in the foot by a suspect, Bilal “B.J.” Abdullah , who fled on foot and died after officers returned fire. The officer is expected to recover.

“They had information that he may have been armed. So when they got out to go talk to him, he walked away, refused to stop, took off running, and that’s when the encounter occurred,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said.

The Upton neighborhood has long been a hotspot for criminal activity, with residents and city leaders expressing concerns for years.

Worley acknowledged the ongoing problems, stating, “There’s always an increased police presence in that area. It’s an area that we get a lot of complaints about for drug activity and a lot of different crimes.”

The area has seen four shootings and 49 aggravated assaults so far this year.

Residents are vocal about their concerns, with one saying, “Our community needs help, and we need it bad. Because otherwise all our young kids is gonna be on this ground.”

The neighborhood has also been the site of other violent incidents, including a mass shooting in January 2023 that killed two people, including 23-year-old mother Maya Morton, and left her two children injured.

City Councilman Eric Costello, a Democrat, previously described the area as “one of the largest open-air drug markets in the state of Maryland, if not the largest.”

Residents are calling for more action to address the violence. “I know they’re overwhelmed. That part you get, you know. But I want to see them get the guns off the street. These people can get a gun, like I buy a bag of potato chips,” one resident said.

Worley emphasized that officers were actively working to remove guns from the streets before the recent shooting. “Officers were out doing, they were doing exactly what we want them to do. They are trying to get guns off the street,” he said.

As investigations continue, residents remain hopeful for change. “We don’t know how long we have out here, and we trying to survive,” one resident said.

Meanwhile, police are still investigating the non-fatal shooting of a 17-year-old on the same block in April.

Have a news tip? Contact Vincent Hill at Vihill@sbgtv.com.

“Wow I was shocked, because I had just seen the news not too long ago with the governor defending his position on Schiraldi,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez’s daughter, 18-year-old Aaliyah Gonzalez, and 20-year-old Kylis Fagbemi were among those killed during the Brooklyn Day mass shooting in July 2023, where 30 people were shot.

Schiraldi had assumed office just six months prior, and his policies on juvenile offenders and recidivism were heavily scrutinized during this year’s legislative session.

Tristian Jackson, 18, was one of the teens charged and convicted in connection with the shooting. He was a repeat juvenile offender, previously charged with bringing a loaded gun into school at 17.

At the time of the shooting, Jackson was on electronic monitoring and under DJS supervision.

Gonzalez, whose daughter was a Glen Burnie High School graduate and 18 when she died, questioned the lack of alerts when Jackson was outside his range.

“We wondered why, I always had this question, why was there no one being notified. Why wasn’t [there] any dings, dings, whistles going off alerting people that he was outside of his range,” Gonzalez said.

Jackson had been granted permission by his probation officer to attend the block party where the shooting occurred.

“Now this isn’t school training, a job, a job that he needs to be at, this is a block party after hours and this is a violent offender, with a gun charge,” Gonzalez said.

No one has been charged with Aaliyah’s murder, but Gonzalez holds the system accountable.

“When I think about Aaliyah’s death, I think about all of the missteps and all the places that people could have stepped up and stepped in and the outcome could have been completely different,” Gonzalez said.

As DJS undergoes changes, Gonzalez hopes for a collaborative approach to reform.

“Having a seat at the table is gonna take all of us coming together; law enforcement, I would even say, I call it survivor moms. Because we have been affected so deeply by this,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez expressed hope that Betsy Fox Tolentino, the acting secretary of the department, will be effective in her role.

“There has to be a stern force behind this seat. There has to be someone who is not afraid to do the right thing,” she said. “Someone sitting in that seat absolutely needs to be in a position where they are exercising authority in the place of holding these young people accountable, right away.”

Have a news tip? Contact Vincent Hill at Vihill@sbgtv.com.

A social media post described the scene on Saturday as “a regular hot day in Baltimore,” while another noted the overwhelming number of bikes, saying, “If y’all would have seen the beginning, like oh my God.”

As the day turned into night, encounters between police and dirt bikers continued. A siren could be heard in one video, with a voice exclaiming, “This —– tried to hit me.”

Residents of Federal Hill had anticipated the street takeover during a recent public safety meeting, expressing their frustrations over the growing dirt bike problem. One resident suggested using spike strips, saying, “Just throw them down and let the dice go where they may.”

The community’s frustration was palpable, with one resident lamenting, “If you have a mayor that calls it a cultural institution … We’re doomed.” Another resident expressed a loss of faith in city leaders, saying, “I used to feel, in conclusion, that the city was dysfunctional. I’ve almost reached the point now that it’s non-functional.”

Scott has been pressed on dirt bike enforcement, often resulting in heated debates. He emphasized that enforcement is not solely about young people, saying, “Dirt Bikes enforcement is not just about young people. If you or anyone else thinks that only those who ride a dirt bike are teenagers, you need to learn a little bit more about dirt bike culture.” He added, “We’ll continue to enforce the laws in the books.”

Despite the rain earlier in the day, dirt bikes continued to move throughout the city with little to no enforcement seen.

Have a news tip? Contact Vincent Hill at Vihill@sbgtv.com.

Jonah Poole and Kylee Dakes, both 18, are accused of robbing, beating and binding Koza on May 24 inside his Davidsonville business, Tropic Bay Water Gardens, where Poole had worked for two weekends about a year ago.

Police say the suspects then drove Koza’s truck to a nearby BP gas station while Koza was inside the vehicle. Video footage shows Dakes standing in the parking lot and talking to Poole, who was in the victim’s truck, before she went inside to pay for gas, according to investigators.

Shortly after, a 911 call reported a vehicle fire at Koza’s business. “Caller reported it looked like someone threw something into the truck, before it caught fire,” said the dispatcher. Investigators found Koza’s burned vehicle with his body inside in the parking lot of his business. Poole’s cell phone records placed him at the business just before the fire and leaving the area immediately after.

Anne Arundel County Police are working to authenticate a video posted on social media that shows someone lighting a silver truck on fire.

Poole and Dakes were denied bond during a court hearing on Monday and are awaiting their next court date.

Poole is also charged with burglary of a business that occurred just days before the alleged murder of Koza. The investigation continues, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

Have a news tip? Contact Vincent Hill at Vihill@sbgtv.com.