A group of suspects in a stolen car ended up dragging and injuring a Prince George’s County police officer who was trying to stop the theft early Friday morning in the Lewisdale, Maryland, area.
Prince George’s County police said the suspects responsible for dragging the officer had been involved in stealing several other unattended vehicles that had been left running by their owners to warm up.
The dragging incident began as the suspects were in the process of stealing their third vehicle in less than an hour — this one on 23rd Avenue — when an officer approached them early Friday.
Police said the suspect behind the wheel accelerated, dragging the officer a short distance before driving off in the stolen vehicle. The officer had minor injuries, police said.
Just before that incident, police said the suspects had taken a running vehicle on Hannon Street.
Surveillance footage released Friday by police show two vehicles pulling up in front of a residence. Police said both of those vehicles had also been stolen.
The first vehicle seen on video, police said, was stolen Thursday in the Kentland area. The second vehicle was taken after it had been left unattended about 10 minutes beforehand from outside a home on nearby Drexel Street.
In the video, one suspect gets out of the first vehicle, talks to the second suspect briefly and then takes the car left running in the driveway. Police said the victim had called police and given a description of the stolen car.
Police are asking residents to not leave their vehicles running and unattended as they’ve received reports of 20 “jump-in thefts” so far this year.
Anyone with information on these stolen vehicles or these cases can call (301) 516-3788. Or, leave a tip anonymously by calling Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477), or submitting it online.
Below is a map of the area where the early Friday thefts happened.
