On Sunday, in Upper Fells Point, Baltimore, a store owner and his family experienced an alarming escalation in what began as a petty theft. Julian Macias, the owner of La Joya Morelense, and his stepson were violently assailed by a group of minors intent on stealing ice cream. The surveillance video, which CBS News reported, showed the youths, about a dozen on bikes, converging on the corner store. "They just hurt him and slammed him on the ground and tried to get him," Macias described his ordeal. The minors used nearby traffic cones and store boxes as weapons before allegedly smashing the screens of stolen cell phones over the victims' heads.
With his pregnant fiancée often working at the store alone, Macias conveyed to Fox Baltimore that beyond the loss of merchandise, his primary concern was the safety and security of his family. "My girl is scared to open early, scared to be by herself," he said. Striking with whatever they find in the street, the group, all dressed in black and riding black bikes, eventually dispersed before the arrival of the police. Macias was left to tally not only the bruises and scratches on his body but also the toll such violence has levied on his family's peace of mind.
Community members, unsettled by the trend, have voiced their frustrations. Bernie, a 66-year-old beat unconscious in a separate attack and whose first name was used for security reasons, urged for change. "There is no accountability," he stated, as per Fox Baltimore. Macias echoed a sentiment, who decried the catch-and-release approach: "You guys really need to start thinking about changing some laws and you better do it fast before it hits your house next," Bernie added.
Addressing the wider context of juvenile crime, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott acknowledged during a press conference the need for available services for young offenders and enforcement of accountability, pointing to discussions with state partners.
