Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) Four teens took a nod from the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, making off with more than 40 packages from the front porches of houses in Germantown and Clarksburg.
On Dec. 13, a Clarksburg resident called Montgomery County Police after seeing two young men take packages from her neighbors’ doorsteps and leave in a getaway car driven by a third person. It turns out they stole more than just packages – the Audi was also stolen.
A resident called to report that theft three days earlier.
Only a few minutes later, the Clarksburg High School Resource Officer spotted the Audi.
When officers stopped it, they found about a dozen stolen packages in and near the luxury car and arrested two 17-year-old Germantown residents who were inside of it. They face theft charges for stealing the car and the boxes.
Then on Dec. 20, police found a different Audi also described by witnesses.
They saw that car make its way to the dead-end of a street, where the driver threw boxes out the window.
When the driver realized people had seen him, he sped away. Police officers stopped 18-year-old Marcell Bennett of Boyds and a 17-year-old female passenger.
Police got a search warrant for the vehicle and found about 30 packages inside along with the woman’s purse, which had five $100 bills inside and return receipts for items the police believe were stolen.
Police think the money was from a picture frame package someone had reported stolen. They suspect the suspects were taking the things they had stolen and returning them to stores to get money.
Bennett and the 17-year-old admitted they stole all the packages the officers found. They were charged with theft, and may face more charges as the investigation continues.
Police say stealing packages off of doorsteps is common and easy to do and advise residents to have them delivered to a work address, or pick them up from stores or post offices if possible.
Victims were allowed to pick up their packages at the 5th District Police Station today.
Copyright 2016 by WMAL.com. Al Rights Reserved. (photos: Montgomery County Police)
