BALTIMORE — The three young men appeared suddenly in hoodies and face masks, startling the 25-year-old Southeast Baltimore woman. No one else was nearby. Even the street was empty of cars.
They knocked her to the ground and told her she would die if she cried out. They searched her pockets and took one thing — her keys. They ran to her 2005 Honda Civic, parked outside her Butchers Hill rowhouse, and sped away.
The attack in the evening of Feb. 8 is part of a surge in carjackings in Baltimore, and across the country. So far, the city has recorded a more than 50% increase in carjackings, with more than 200 cases this year. Carjackings also are up in Baltimore County by six to 38 so far this year, prompting the police department to create a specialized unit, which they say is the region’s first, to tackle the issue.
