Baltimore City, MD — Shattered windshields and damaged storefronts lined Riverside Avenue in Federal Hill on Tuesday, the aftermath of a destructive overnight crime spree.
Around 11:00 pm in 1300 block, several car windows were reportedly smashed. Including, the windshield to Deborah Boyd’s Lexus, causing what she says is roughly $1,000 worth of damage.
“It keeps happening over and over again,” she said, “There are a couple neighbors that did hear and see something going on.”
Many area residents believe repeat juvenile offenders are behind the crime. Some of them shared photos of more cars struck on the same street earlier this month.
“A neighbor came out and she said there was a bunch of juveniles. She said, with, I guess, golf clubs and baseball bats,” said Boyd.
A similar situation played out in Canton last week. Home surveillance video captured two suspected juveniles riding on bicycles hitting cars with a golf club. Baltimore police have not confirmed if the cases are connected or if the same juveniles are involved.
Meanwhile, back on Riverside Avenue, just a few blocks up from the string of damaged cars, more shattered glass could be found outside of a neighborhood bar and restaurant. A windowpane was missing from the front door of The Outpost American Tavern — right next to the lock. It’s unclear what, if anything, was stolen, but police confirmed a burglary was reported around 4:00 am.
Around the same time Tuesday morning, police were called to another break-in just a few blocks down the street. At Pure Raw, splintered wood along the front door’s frame indicated a forced entry. FOX45 spoke with the juice bar’s manager off camera. He said company policy prevents him from releasing the store’s surveillance footage publicly, but he showed us the footage privately. What appeared to be three young men, dressed in all black and wearing ski masks, could be seen kicking in the front door. One of them was holding what looked like a hammer, another appeared to pull out a gun.
Making matters worse, this is the second overnight break-in at the juice bar within the last week. Last Wednesday, around 1:00 am, Baltimore police say two juveniles stole a cash register containing $200. A 15-year-old was arrested for the burglary, but for an unknown reason, the department was not able to confirm the second suspect’s age. They also couldn’t say if the suspects remain detained or have a criminal history.
A sign posted on Pure Raw’s front door now reads ‘100% cashless’, an effort they hope will help prevent future break-ins.
“This is becoming really dangerous,” said Boyd, “You don’t want to be walking around the streets. It’s scary.”
But as reports of crime continue to pour in, Boyd says her family is considering moving out of the city.
“We love our community, and we don’t want to, but when this type of thing happens, it’s almost as if you have to,” she said.
