Mom of teen repeat offender frustrated with Maryland law barring kids from criminal prosecution
Maryland mom of teenage repeat offender cries for help
FOX 5's reporting this week on the 12-year-old suspected serial luxury car and e-scooter thief in Maryland has been generating lots of discussion - especially online. What can be done to stop the boy and get him help? FOX 5's Bob Barnard spoke with one of the people who’s reached out to us about the story, concerned about their own child.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - The story of a 12-year-old accused serial thief, who police say has stolen luxury cars and e-scooters in Maryland has been generating lots of discussion, especially online.
What can be done to stop the boy and get him help and what about the parent's responsibility?
One single mom who also lives in Maryland spoke to FOX 5 Wednesday, describing the struggles she’s faced with her own child.
Christine Taylor says she's exhausted and frustrated because she's been going through almost the exact same thing with her young son.
"My biggest fear is getting a phone call or a police coming saying he’s dead. That’s my biggest fear. He clearly knows this because he sitting right here," Taylor said.
Taylor is the mother of a 13-year-old boy who's been getting in trouble for a number of years now.
RELATED: How a 12-year-old has evaded arrest after string of car thefts in Montgomery County
"It started off with minor stuff like kicking trash cans, stealing packages from people's doors, stealing from stores to stealing cars and crashing them," Taylor said.
She says her son's case has been referred to Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services but nothing's ever come of it.
"And the officer actually said this in front of him: unless he murders somebody there’s nothing they can do about it," Taylor said. "That was when I noticed that he went downhill with his crimes."
She says she’s been watching FOX 5’s coverage of the 12-year-old suspected serial car and scooter thief has touched a nerve. That young suspect is accused of more than a dozen thefts in Montgomery County and College Park.
"I do believe for some of these crimes that are being committed there does need to be some sort of jail time for them," Taylor said. "I'm not saying I want my son to be in jail but there’s not going to be a lesson learned from it and it’s just going to get worse and worse as these kids get older. The crimes are going to get worse. I’ve seen it myself with my son."
RELATED: 12-year-old accused of Maryland car dealership break-ins released to parents, strikes again: police
Taylor says she's also been investigated for neglect.
"I actually requested for it to go to court," she told FOX 5. "I thought if it went to court I could get proper help for him."
Taylor says there’s a reason her 13-year-old was sitting at home at 1 p.m. on a school day.
"There’s no proper placement for him because of his disabilities and behavior. A lot of schools have been declining him saying they can’t meet his needs," Taylor said. "I’ve had multiple IEP meetings with the Board of Education – actually have one coming up on Friday. He’s actually attended school in the past year three days. That’s it. So that also is concerning because it gives him more free time to commit crimes."
As for the 12-year-old suspected serial car thief, he actually lives in D.C., so that complicates the situation for him and his mother in terms of getting services for the crimes he's committed in Maryland.
FOX 5 asked D.C. police if they had a comment on this case. They said they were not even aware of that boy's case.