Six indicted in Baltimore City, County carjacking ring

UPDATE: Officials say there was no 10-year-old involved in this case, as was initially reported.

Updated story below…

BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has announced charges against six individuals, including two juveniles, on multiple criminal counts, including participation in a criminal gang, first degree murder, armed carjacking, armed robbery, assault, burglary, and firearm related charges.

“The complete disregard for the law and horrifying string of violent actions this group is responsible for instilled fear in residents throughout Baltimore City and surrounding neighborhoods,” said Attorney General Brown. “Marylanders deserve to feel safe at home and in their neighborhoods and communities. Through the tremendous dedication of my Office’s Criminal Division, along with law enforcement partners, this group has been brought to justice, and residents can rest easier knowing these criminals are off our streets.”

The investigation into the criminal organization, which was led by the Baltimore Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), began after the November 3, 2022, murder of Delaka Augins, who was shot and killed during an attempted carjacking in the 2500-block of Brookfield Avenue in Baltimore City. The investigation revealed that the firearm used to kill Augins was linked to multiple incidents, such as carjackings, non-fatal shootings, dischargings (of a firearm), and other violent crimes according to ballistics evidence.

“Thank you to Attorney General Anthony Brown, the ATF, the Baltimore Police Department’s Robbery Homicide Section and our regional law enforcement partners for their tireless work on this case,” said Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley. “This criminal enterprise terrorized our residents by carrying out multiple crime sprees, including a homicide, shootings, armed carjacking, armed robbery, auto theft and commercial burglaries. I hope these indictments and arrests show what we can accomplish when we join our partners and community in the crime fight to improve the quality of life for Baltimoreans.”

Investigators reviewed numerous surveillance videos and witness statements and utilized other investigative means to identify those engaged in these violent crimes. By connecting ballistics from the Brookfield Avenue homicide to evidence recovered at other crime scenes, law enforcement determined that the same organization was responsible for several incidents of violent crime. Many of the incidents occurred within a short period of time and within close proximity to one another. The organization would then use vehicles that had just been stolen to commit additional carjackings, robberies, and similarly violent offenses. Ultimately, investigators connected the organization to violent incidents from April 2022 through August 2023.

“The harm that this group of individuals inflicted on neighborhoods and communities across the entire Baltimore region is clear and devastating,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “I want to thank Attorney General Anthony Brown, his team in the AG’s office, the Baltimore Police Department, and all of our partners in Baltimore County and the ATF for their diligent work in bringing them to justice. We will always seek out and hold accountable those who continuously choose to do violence in our city, and the indictments announced today are a critical step in making our neighborhoods safer for all Baltimoreans.”

The investigation revealed that the organization is connected to at least 35 carjackings and eight attempted carjackings. Additionally, at least two attempted murders occurred during carjackings orchestrated by this organization. On October 29, 2022, in the 5600-block of Reisterstown Road, the organization attempted to steal the victim’s BMW while he was pumping gas. A struggle ensued and members of the organization fired a handgun at the victim. On December 10, 2022, in the 3200-block of Rosalie Road, another intended carjacking victim was shot in the head during an attempted carjacking. Ballistics evidence recovered at the scene showed consistencies in the ballistics evidence recovered from the November 3, 2022, homicide and from the October 29, 2022, attempted murder, as well as from a non-fatal shooting on September 24, 2022. The victims were filling up their gas tank or warming up their vehicles before going to work in the morning when the attackers struck.

The organization is also connected to several commercial burglaries and robberies during the same period. Investigators executed search and seizure warrants throughout this investigation through which they recovered firearms, identifying documents belonging to various victims, clothes worn by the suspects, and numerous keys and key fobs that were consistent with the types of vehicles that were stolen.

“Armed criminals who terrorize our communities must be brought to justice,” said ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby. “ATF Baltimore Field Division is focused on working closely with our law enforcement partners to identify these violent offenders through the rigorous application of crime gun intelligence, and to taking them off the streets. The citizens of Maryland deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods, and this indictment reflects our commitment to helping make that a reality.”

The following suspects have been indicted in connection to the carjackings and attempted carjackings between April 2022 and August 2023: