12-year-old arrested for breaking into Bethesda Porsche dealership accused in additional incidents
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - UPDATE: Montgomery County Police confirm that the 12-year-old suspected of burglarizing at least six car dealerships in the county struck again Tuesday night, one day after he was released into the custody of his parents. Read more here.
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Montgomery County Police have confirmed that a 12-year-old was arrested in connection to an overnight break-in at a Porsche dealership in Bethesda.
While few details are available about the juvenile suspect, police tell FOX 5 that he has been hitting dealerships across the area.
Police caught him just before 3 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 2 after they responded to the Porsche dealership at 11990 Rockville Pike, for the report of a burglary in progress.
The 12-year-old suspect was apprehended and later released into the custody of his parents.
No stolen property or damage was reported and a report was completed and forwarded to the Department of Juvenile Services.
It’s not clear what consequences, if any, the child could face for the repeated break-ins. Under previous Maryland law, children under the age of 13 could not be charged with a crime.
While the Juvenile Justice Reform Act amended that to say children between the ages of 10 and 12 could be charged with some crimes, the offenses are limited to the most serious crimes like murder, illegal gun possession, sex offenses or other violent offenses.
MCPD Acting Assistant Chief David McBain said the 12-year-old is not from the county. He is from D.C., according to McBain.
"That young individual is in need supervision and I think it’s crucial he gets that. Interestingly enough because he is 12 years old based on some new legislation that came out of Annapolis last year, that individual…because of age…has to be dealt with quite differently than we would for someone who is 13 and above, so we’re navigating that."
After the "It’s not clear what consequences, if any, the child could face for the repeated break-ins. Under previous Maryland law, children under the age of 13 could not be charged with a crime.
While the Juvenile Justice Reform Act amended that to say children between the ages of 10 and 12 could be charged with some crimes, the offenses are limited to the most serious crimes like murder, illegal gun possession, sex offenses or other violent offenses." ….please add the following:
John McCarthy, State’s Attorney for Montgomery County, said the Maryland Legislature should consider two additional items when it comes to juvenile crime reform in the next general assembly.
"When they modified the law and expanded juvenile jurisdiction under the age of 13, they did it for guns and they did it for animal cruelty. I think they should go back to auto theft. The second thing is the juvenile interrogation bill they passed a couple of years ago that I think has constitutional flaws to it," McCarthy said. "It’s a more complex situation to deal with how you’re going to address the offender, particularly young people. I get that. You want diversion. You want different programs, but limitations on authority? Maryland Legislature can come with up a solution, but if it leaves me a third or two thirds of the problem not being addressed because of limitations of crossing boundaries or other borders, you have not really given me much of a solution to an ongoing problem."