Early Sunday morning, police began receiving calls about a series of vehicle vandalisms across South Baltimore. Reports came in from Lee Street to Washington Blvd and Patapsco Street, with shattered glass littering the roads.
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.
