Police Major Under Investigation After Abandoning Car

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The head of homicide is under investigation after he abandoned his city-owned car.  A critical member of the Baltimore City Police Department remains suspended and state police investigators are looking into why he left his take-home car in the brush off I-95.

Mike Hellgren has the investigation into Homicide Commander Terry McLarney.

Major McLarney commands respect.  He oversees all homicide detectives and has been at the heart of major cases from the disappearance of Phylicia Barnes to the murder of Councilman Ken Harris. 

"He reports right to the chief of detectives and is a very crucial part of the BPD senior command team," said Anthony Guglielmi, Baltimore City Police spokesperson.

But he's off the job for now, suspended after an incident at the intersection of Interstate 95 and Route 32 in Howard County last Sunday.  That's where police say Major McLarney's taxpayer-funded take-home car went down an embankment and into some bushes.  Police say the commander did not immediately report it, which is required by department rules.

"Of course I'm concerned.  You like strong people in their position," said Melissa Techentin, former head of the southeast district's police community relations council.

Techentin says she has faith in the investigative process, but worries about McLarney's absence.

"It's like any managerial break that occurs.  When you have staff that's no longer in place, you have to make accommodations," she said.

Right now, state police are leading the investigation.  They still want to know whether McLarney was really behind the wheel.

His suspension is with pay, no criminal charges have been filed and city police will conduct their own criminal investigation.

"Could be a variety of factors---weather-related is obviously a prime factor---or something more serious," Guglielmi said.

City police say McLarney was working on a murder case on Hollins Ferry Road  the day this unfolded.  They're not sure where he was headed when he left or why he abandoned the car. 

"We're cooperating extensively with state police and we should have a pretty good idea of what transpired in the next couple of days," Guglielmi said.

Police say the incident happened between 7 and 8 p.m. Sunday.  Someone called state police to report the abandoned car, which is what launched the investigation.