Car Dealerships, Auto Parts Store Hit In Crime Spree: Report

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Shortly before Christmas, a group of thieves broke into several auto dealerships in Howard County.

Brian Doroudian encountered three suspects taking off from his business, National Motors in Ellicott City, on Dec. 23. They stole 50 car keys.

"I tried to grab one of them, they ran away, they jumped the fence and there was a car ready for them," Doroudian told WJZ.

A 2022 Honda Accord was swiped from O'Donnell Honda down the road, according to Howard County Police. In Elkridge, burglars broke into Calton Cars & Auto Parts where they stole cash and car parts, WJZ reported.

Seth Hoffman, a spokesperson with Howard County Police, told WJZ that investigators believe the two dealership break-ins are related, and possibly the third. The incidents happened between Dec. 22-25.

"A lot of car businesses will have keys that belong to cars on the lot — whether they're cars to be fixed or cars to be sold — and [burglars will] target those," Hoffman told WJZ. "[Sometimes] they'll come back at another time. It's not a kind of one-off type crime. So, these people aren't just doing it. It's planned. They know what they're hitting, they know what they're going after."

A dozen cars were stolen from National Motors in December, Doroudian said. Off-duty officers have been hired to help safeguard the property, he noted.