Baltimore authorities say hundreds of cars stolen each month
A car is stolen every 49 minutes in the state of Maryland, officials say
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hundreds of car thefts were reported in Baltimore during October as the city continues to struggle with rampant crime and lenient progressive prosecutors.
A car is stolen every 49 minutes in the state of Maryland, according to the Maryland Vehicle Theft Protection Council.
The Baltimore Police Department says that 335 automobile thefts were reported in September 2022, and 339 auto thefts were reported in October 2022 as of Monday, Fox 45 News reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In Baltimore County, there were 146 vehicle thefts reported in September and at least 117 car thefts reported in October, the Baltimore County Police Department said.
(Office of the State's Attorney Office for Baltimore City)
The Vehicle Theft Prevention Council – established by the state legislature in 1994 as a statewide planning and dedicated funding resource – says that vehicle theft is primarily a crime of opportunity and that 60% of stolen vehicles were left unlocked.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The group's most recent annual report said there was a total of 10,683 vehicles stolen in Maryland in 2020, a decrease from 11,255 vehicles stolen in 2019.
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Overall, there has been a 72% decline in stolen cars since 1994, when the Council was established, but still hundreds of cars are stolen from drivers every month.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The most common vehicle models targeted by thieves are the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima, the report said.
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Carjackings in cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore have skyrocketed in recent years, with all the cities continuing to see an upward trend in the crimes this year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police responded to the scene of a Los Angeles carjacking that left a victim dead when a murder suspect fled from officers, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022. (KTTV)
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Many of these crimes are committed by juvenile offenders, including in Baltimore, where 15-year-old Bryce Garcia-Diaz is accused of running over a police officer and crashing a stolen car.
The Baltimore Police Department arrested Keith Brown on narcotics charges Monday following the incident on "Lady in the Lake" set. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Police Department)
However, prosecutors dropped 18 of the 19 charges Diaz faced, and he was released from prison.
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Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.