Maryland
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.
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.”
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.
Calling all outdoorsmen and women — Maryland’s Lower Shore is home to some of the best hiking, walking and running trails on the East Coast.
Here’s a closer look at four picturesque parks and preserves with nature trails in the Berlin, Salisbury and Ocean City area.
Assateague Island
Assateague Island offers a wide variety of paved and unpaved trails open for hiking and 37 miles of flat beach terrain for wandering and beachcombing. Assateague Island’s Maryland District features a Life of the Dunes trail, Life of the Forest trail, Life of the Marsh trail.
Furnace Town
Furnace Town is nestled between the Pocomoke State Forest and Nature Conservancy’s Nassawango Creek Preserve. The popular historical site offers three Nature Conservancy Trails, three Maryland Forest service Trails, and a 26-acre outdoor museum and recreation area.
Pemberton Historical Park
Pemberton Historical Park, a 262-acre area featuring a trail system, outdoor amphitheater and more, was created in the 1980s. The park offers 4.5 miles of nature trails for walking and hiking only, allowing visitors to explore wetlands, forests and more of the natural world.
Nassawango Creek Preserve
Nassawango Creek Preserve’s primeval forest has an abundance of bald cypress and black gum trees. Visitors are invited to indulge in its four trails, the Nassawango Joe, Prothonotary Warbler, Ron Wilson Memorial Trail and Leifer Trail, as well as self-guided audio tours.
Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.
The 21-year-old second baseman and 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft has deep ties to the D.C. region.
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals’ first-round draft pick Chris Hacopian inked his first professional contract Wednesday, a moment made sweeter by the fact it was just a 30-minute drive from home to get to Nationals Park and put pen to paper.
The 21-year-old second baseman and 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft has deep ties to the D.C. region. He’s from Potomac, Maryland, and played his high school ball at Winston Churchill, where he was named the 2022 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year and a 2022 Washington Post All-Met selection.
According to MLB.com, Hacopian grew up a Nationals fan, admiring the likes of Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa and others. He also played his first two collegiate seasons at the University of Maryland, where his father Derek played before him, before transferring to Texas A&M for his junior season.
With the Aggies, Hacopian hit .319 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI across 42 games en route to being named First-Team All-Southeastern Conference and a Third-Team All-American by Baseball America, the Nationals said in a news release.
After inking his contract Wednesday, Hacopian donned his new jersey and ball cap and stepped onto D.C.’s beloved diamond as a part of the Nationals organization for the first time.
“That was so cool, oh my gosh. I’ve been in the stands like, 100 times, but being on the field is so different,” he said.
Hacopian was ranked 14th among MLB Draft prospects by MLB.com. The 6-foot-1-inch, 210-pound second baseman boasted one of the best bats in college baseball, according to MLB.com, with excellent control over the strike zone and feel for the barrel, along with solid pop.
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The state said the five recently traveled together to “a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak.”
Maryland health officials confirmed five more measles cases, all in Carroll County.
“These individuals recently traveled together to a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak,” the state Department of Health said in a release.
The agency said others may have been exposed on the afternoon of July 13 in the emergency department waiting room at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.
Another measles case recently prompted warnings from health officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District. On June 17, a Maryland resident traveled through Dulles International Airport and visited a D.C. urgent care clinic.
Measles is highly contagious. It can spread through the air through coughs, breathing, and sneezes. Early symptoms can include fevers of over 101 degrees, coughs, runny noses, watery eyes and face or body rashes.
It can take up to 21 days after exposure for the first symptoms to appear, and those who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles are especially vulnerable.
The five new measles cases in Maryland bring the state’s year-to-date total to nine. The state health department confirmed three cases in 2025, and one in each of the previous two years.
“All Marylanders should review potential exposure times, watch for symptoms, and confirm they are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations,” the health department said.
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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
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