Two 13-year-olds accused in arm carjackings had prior contact with juvenile system

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WBFF) — The two 13-year-olds who were arrested in connection with two separate armed carjackings in Baltimore County have had prior contact with the juvenile justice system, prosecutors say.

The carjackings took place over the weekend, one in Owings Mills, the other in Towson. The incidents have sparked concern among area residents, who say violent crime involving young offenders feels like it’s becoming more common.

“We just want this to stop,” one Baltimore County resident told FOX45, “People can’t walk without having to look over their shoulder, and now they can’t seem to drive without looking over their shoulder.”

During an appearance on WBAL Radio with C4 and Bryan Nehman, Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Schellenberger confirmed the two teens have had previous run ins with authorities. When asked whether the suspects had been in trouble before, Schellenberger replied, “They have.”

“If they had passed some of these juvenile laws that they wanted to pass then we wouldn’t have been able to even charge these people,” Schellenberger went on to say, “So at least they’re charged as juveniles. At least my juvenile division can go forward.”

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Due to their age and state confidentiality laws, Schellenberger couldn’t say much about this case specifically, but had plenty to say about the system as a whole.

“I’m just not seeing enough treatment alternatives offered,” Schellenberger said. “They do the crime, they get arrested, they’re charged as juveniles, they go right back home. And the question is, are we offering enough treatment options in the juvenile system to figure out what was going wrong? I still haven’t seen that being expanded.”

The concerns mirror criticism voiced by Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates, who recently called Maryland’s juvenile justice system “broken from top to bottom.”

Bates has argued the system lacks sufficient treatment programs and secure placement options for young offenders. He has also said recent changes to state law have limited the ability of judges and prosecutors to respond to serious juvenile crime.

“They need to really listen to the people who are in the system, who are on the ground floor,” Bates said.

FOX45 reached out to the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services to ask what services or consequences the two teens could face. The agency declined to comment, citing state confidentiality laws governing juvenile cases.