Anne Arundel County police are investigating a brazen and unusual carjacking that occurred on Friday, Nov. 28, after a driver said he slowed down to avoid someone on crutches crossing the road. 

Detectives say they are working to determine whether that individual was connected to two other suspects who ultimately stole the victim's car. 

Around 1:20 a.m., officers responded to the 500 block of Brock Bridge Road in Laurel for the reported carjacking. 

The victim told officers he was driving in the area when a person on crutches tried to cross the street in front of his car. The victim stopped his car, and two suspects — one of whom may have been armed with a shotgun — came out of the woods. 

According to police, the suspects pulled the victim out of his vehicle and fled the scene in the victim's car. 

"It just seems unusual, if this was indeed some sort of ploy or tactic or strategy to lure the victim to stop the vehicle," said Anne Arundel County Police spokesperson Justin Mulcahy. "You can imagine it was very dark at the time. He apparently slows down or stops his vehicle at that juncture, two individuals approached from a wooded area and knocked on his door, basically telling him to get out of the vehicle."

The victim was not injured, and as of Monday, the stolen Camry has not been located.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to call the police at 410-222-4730.

Carjackings in Anne Arundel County

Carjacking cases have increased by more than 100% in the past two years, according to data from the Maryland State Police. 

In 2024, the county recorded 1,823 carjackings, up nearly 112% from the 859 carjackings reported in 2022. In 2023, 1,455 carjacking cases were reported in the county, data shows. 

So far this year, the county has recorded 727 carjacking cases and 41 related arrests, according to data from State Police.

In September, police identified two suspects who were involved in a 2023 carjacking and kidnapping case. The two suspects — Crystal Humphries, 35, of Halethorpe, and David Jiles, 39, of Baltimore — allegedly put a woman in the trunk of a car and threw her over a bridge into a creek, according to police. 

The woman was able to swim to safety as the suspects fled in her vehicle, police said.