15-year-old repeat offender charged with kidnapping, armed robbery of 12-year-old boy in East Baltimore
Baltimore police said a 12-year-old boy was robbed at gunpoint on his way to school Monday in East Baltimore, and they arrested a 15-year-old repeat offender for the crime.
Police made the announcement Friday, saying the victim was approached by three people, forced into a nearby house, then assaulted and robbed of his phone and sneakers.
The 15-year-old was charged with armed robbery and kidnapping as the teen was already under electronic monitoring at the time of the violent attack "due to prior involvement in several stolen auto incidents and robberies."
He was taken to the Juvenile Justice Center, but more details including his name are unknown because of his age.
"You can't just point the finger at the kids. It's deeper than that..."
"It definitely shocked me—a 12-year-old getting kidnapped by some other kids. It just tells you that it's getting worse out here than better," said one neighbor who declined to give his name.
He told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren there is just not enough for young people to do.
"It's easier to get in trouble than to do the right thing out here," he said. "You can't just point the finger at the kids. It's deeper than that. We've got to holler at these political people."
Prosecutor's frustrated with juvenile crime
At a town hall this week, Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates said Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services is only detaining one in four of juveniles that his office has asked to be detained for the juvenile equivalent of felonies.
"They're going right back out there and doing some of the same behavior," he said.
While overall crime is down in the city, Bates said arrests and charges for juvenile offenders have skyrocketed.
- In 2022, 303 were arrested and charged with juvenile offenses in Baltimore City.
- In 2023, the number rose to 637
- And last year, it hit 1,126 according to his office.
"The system makes no sense," Bates told the crowd.
Repeat offenders
At a city council public safety hearing last week, police said a small group of the same juveniles are behind crimes and revealed the same names come up again and again in their regular meetings with the Department of Juvenile Services.
"We all know of these instances where a young person is arrested multiple and multiple and multiple times and eventually commits some violent crime," council member and public safety chair Mark Conway said.
"We find that maybe three out of ten of the youth where we're requesting detention are actually getting detained by DJS. Those are usually the handguns and the warrant," said Lisa Reynolds, of the BPD, at the hearing. "The youth who are committing crimes of violence are returning home on monitoring."
Police said in that hearing that because they have familiarity with these repeat juvenile offenders, they are able to make quick identifications.
That appears to be the case in the arrest of the 15-year-old suspect in the Aisquith Street attack.
The other two suspects are still at large in that case.
Summer youth activities in Baltimore
Baltimore has launched its Summer Youth Engagement Strategy to help deter violence.
The initiative establishes a curfew for young people in the city and creates specialized programs for them.
Mayor Brandon Scott said after implementing the program during the summer of 2024, the number of shooting victims decreased by 66%, and the number of aggravated assault victims dropped by 31%.
The programming includes 42 summer campsites through recreation and parks, and the return of the city's Rock the Block parties, midnight basketball, and parties at the Druid Hill Pool.
In addition, hours at nine of the city's recreation centers throughout the city will be extended until 11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday from June 20 until August 16.
