A Maryland teenager accused of breaking into 121 vehicles in one night was released just five hours after being arrested. Local authorities are expressing their frustration, as the state categorizes these crimes as “lower level,” which means there might not be any significant consequences.

The unidentified 16-year-old boy was arrested last week by the Laurel Police Department after it received multiple reports of break-ins on May 4. 

The incidents occurred in Laurel and the surrounding Howard County. According to police, surveillance footage shows three teenagers driving a stolen car, breaking windows of vehicles they encountered.

“I am not optimistic about further accountability for him because of this flawed system,” stated Laurel Police Chief Russ Hamill to reporters. “This oversight jeopardizes both his safety and the safety of the public.”

Laurel Police Chief Russ Hamill said he has little hope that the teen will be held accountable for the crimes he is accused of due to the “broken system.” (Laurel Police Department/Facebook)

“Yes, five hours after we were at his house, he was released back into the community, back into the environment that allowed him to be out roaming the streets in all of these counties, late at night and in the early morning, doing these crimes to begin with,” he added. 

Two other teens have been identified as the suspect’s accomplices, Hamill said, adding that they were expected to be arrested soon.

“People need to be held accountable for this,” he said. 

The night after the teen was released, there were reports of 17 car break-ins, Hamill said, though he stopped short of blaming them on the suspect.

A 16-year-old suspect is accused of breaking into 121 cars in a single night, police said. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

“We’re not going to lay every theft from auto in the region on him and his group, but I will note we had 17 the next night,” Hamill said.