Law enforcement authorities in Baltimore are actively searching for four individuals suspected of forcibly taking a man’s vehicle in a brazen carjacking incident on Tuesday in the city’s Southwest district.

According to police reports, officers responded to calls of a carjacking in the 2400 block of Frederick Avenue around 5:40 p.m. Upon arriving at the Westside Shopping Center area, they learned that four perpetrators had approached a 34-year-old male victim while he was seated inside his car.

One of the suspects reportedly dragged the man out of the vehicle, after which all four individuals entered the car and fled the scene. Authorities have launched an investigation and are currently working to locate the stolen vehicle.

The incident is the latest in a series of violent crimes that have plagued the surrounding neighborhoods, including the nearby Shipley Hill and Carrollton Ridge areas. Just last month, Shipley Hill witnessed its first homicide of the year in the 2700 block of West Fairmount Avenue, while Carrollton Ridge reported its initial deadly shooting on March 7, when 41-year-old Wayne Sawyer was found unresponsive near an alleyway connecting Furrow Street to the shopping center vicinity.

The Frederick Avenue corridor has been a particular hotspot for crime, with a 17-year-old being shot by police in the 2500 block last year after allegedly displaying characteristics of being armed and refusing to comply with officers’ orders.

Residents and local officials have expressed growing concerns about the escalating violence, calling for increased law enforcement presence and community-based intervention efforts to curb the tide of criminal activity in the area.

As the investigation into the carjacking incident continues, authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward and assist in apprehending the suspects and ensuring the safe return of the stolen vehicle.