HALETHORPE, Md. — They were in and out in about two minutes. But they left behind thousands of dollars in damage.
"And this kid, I think he's just waiting for the other two, so he just smashes this other window while he's waiting," Derek Hecker described as he showed WMAR-2 News' Elizabeth Worthington surveillance footage.
Hecker was sleeping at the time but his security camera captured the group of three vandals breaking into cars outside his building on Deer Run Court in Halethorpe early Wednesday morning.
A rash of car break-ins outside a quiet condo complex in Halethorpe. Neighbors tell me at least a dozen cars had their windows smashed around 4am Weds. And some victims have been hit more than once in recent months. Baltimore County police investigating. @WMAR2News pic.twitter.com/F1Jdcngzir
— Elizabeth Worthington (@ElizWorthNews) April 17, 2025
He was spared this time, but he wasn't so lucky over the winter.
In January, his airbag was stolen in a break-in. He and his girlfriend were without a car for about 3 weeks as they waited for parts to come in. But —
"Basically once we got the car back about a week and a half later we got our window smashed again," he recalled.
Fortunately this time they had invested in a steering wheel lock, so the would-be thieves left empty-handed.
"The second time I was like, I don't even know what to do. I guess I'm just gonna live with it, so I decided I'm just gonna pay for more on my insurance and I lowered my deductible to zero, and I guess I'm just gonna get my window smashed every now and then."
This time - he counted 6 cars with broken windows in his parking lot. But just across the street, also part of the Riverchase Condominiums complex, there were more.
When WMAR-2 News arrived on Thursday, repairmen were replacing the windows of two cars there.
"I couldn't believe it. It happened like at 3:30, 4 o'clock in the morning," Nancy Daniello told WMAR-2 News.
Daniello says this happened to close to 15 people who live in the Riverchase Condominiums. Just like her neighbor Derek, she's a repeat victim.
"Last year, I had my Hyundai Sonata stolen as well," she said.
According to Baltimore County crime data, both car thefts and property damage crimes are down slightly in this zip code - and countywide as well - this year compared to the same period last year. But people who live in this neighborhood certainly aren't feeling that drop.
They figure it's a crime of convenience.
"I assume they were probably doing it somewhere else and then they probably went wow, there's a bunch of cars parked here and really no sort of security or anything that could do anything about it," Hecker theorized.
The neighbors we talked to say they have noticed an increased police presence in the area recently.
Baltimore County Police confirm they are investigating. If you have any information or were a victim yourself, give them a call.