FALLSTON, Md. — A man walking his dog just before five o'clock in the morning spotted 28-year-olds Jonathan Klein and Pamela Frye checking for unlocked cars on Beth Bridge Circle in Forest Hill, and deputies picked them up amidst a rash of car burglaries in the area.
"We've been hit really everywhere around the county, but in particular in the Forest Hill/Fallston area with more than 19 car break-ins," said Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler.
A map released by the sheriff's office is dotted with locations where criminals struck, and thus far, in addition to a pair of arrests, deputies have located a couple of grainy images of a hooded thief responsible for some of the crimes.
What had primarily been property crimes became much, much more on Port Lane in Fallston.
"One of the homeowners woke up in the middle of the night, went outside, saw some individuals outside---at least one individual and went out to confront them, and the suspect in that case who was not arrested, who was not located pepper sprayed the homeowner in order to get away," said Gahler.
Just down the street from the assault, Joseph Brigandi says the recent crime spree is unsettling.
"You always feel unsafe when things are happening,” said Brigandi. “Today's age, it's a little bit different, because people come from all over the place. They could be riding down 152 and decide to stop in your neighborhood---joyriding through and burglarize your cars and that type of thing."
The longtime resident also wonders aloud if the problem isn't even larger than the numbers suggest since many victims may not report such crimes.
"We've had times where we've come out and found the glove compartment open and wondered how it opened up,” said Brigandi. “Did we leave it open or did somebody get in last night to open it?"
The Sheriff's Office released a video of a reported attempt that happened on October 16 in the 2100 block of Albrook Court in Fallston.
If anyone has any information on the recent crimes, they're asked to call the Harford County Sheriff's Northern Precinct at 410-692-7880.
