A group of six people has been charged with stealing five vehicles in Columbia between June 21 and Aug. 1. Five of those facing vehicle theft and related charges live in the town, while the sixth person is from Baltimore. All the vehicles were recovered by police, who tied the suspects to the vehicles both from items left in them and from property stolen and later pawned.
Howard County police said they got a break after the second theft, in which a 1997 Dodge Caravan was stolen from the 8700 block of Cloudleap Court on June 21. A patrol officer tried to stop the van but the driver sped off, eventually crashing into a tree on a ramp from Route 29 onto Route 175. The driver and passenger fled on foot but were arrested later police said.
