A teenage boy in Maryland was accused of car theft and unlawful possession of a firearm. Police in Glen Burnie detained the 15-year-old boy on Jan. 5 when he was allegedly found to be in possession of a loaded gun. Police said that they were also looking for a second suspect in the reported car theft.
Reported car theft
According to police, a witness reported a car theft at about 4:20 p.m. The witness said that two males got inside of a 2013 Hyundai Sonata and then drove away in the vehicle.
The police officer who responded to the report said that he saw the stolen Hyundai parked at a 7-Eleven along Crain Highway. When the 15-year-old male passenger exited the car, he was detained and reportedly found to be in possession of a loaded .38-caliber Taurus M85 revolver. The driver of the Hyundai fled the scene, and the vehicle was later found in Baltimore with no one inside of it.
Juvenile crimes
In a criminal defense case involving a juvenile person, the defendant is usually facing a less severe sentence than an adult would be facing for the same charge. A juvenile may be less likely to receive a jail sentence, for example. Juvenile justice courts typically look for alternative sentencing strategies for young people so that they do not have to be taken out of school.
Many jurisdictions automatically seal juvenile conviction records once a person reaches 18. If this is not the case in a particular jurisdiction, an adult can usually request that the court seal their juvenile criminal records or have them expunged.