Eight vehicles parked in College Park were either tampered with or had parts stolen from them this week.
Early Monday morning, five vehicles parked in Mowatt Lane Garage had their wheels or auto accessories stolen, according to a press release from University of Maryland Police.
Later that day, both UMPD and Prince George’s County Police arrived at the 4300 block of Hartwick Road at 8:03 p.m., where two vehicles had their wheels stolen. On Tuesday, PGPD notified UMPD of a report that a third vehicle on Hartwick Road had its lug nuts tampered with. All of the vehicles involved were either Hondas or Toyotas.
Two individuals driving a black Dodge Durango SRT with a stolen temporary Maryland license plate entered Mowatt Lane Garage early Monday. According to a press release, a UMPD officer saw this vehicle on the first floor of the garage at 3:55 a.m. and witnessed it leave.
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“The officer saw the same SUV driving in a manner that got the officer’s attention and failed to obey a traffic control device,” the UMPD statement said. “The officer attempted to stop the vehicle, but the SUV fled the area.”
UMPD has increased patrols in Mowatt Lane Garage and is investigating the thefts that occurred there. PGPD is investigating the thefts that occurred on Hartwick Road.
“We certainly have seen an uptick in tires or wheels being stolen from vehicles,” said David Allen, executive director of the university’s Department of Transportation Services. “We’re meeting with [UMPD] to see what types of things we could possibly do to help curb this, but it’s a tough one.”
UMPD has released security camera images of two suspects and asks anyone with information regarding their identity to contact the police.
