Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has directed the state’s Department of Juvenile Services to immediately develop pilot programs in Baltimore City and Montgomery County aimed at preventing auto theft by young people, including children too young to be criminally charged. The directive follows a fatal Baltimore crash in which a 12-year-old driving a stolen car struck and killed a 69-year-old motorcyclist. Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates has said Maryland law does not allow his office to criminally charge the child. Moore identified Baltimore City and Montgomery County as the jurisdictions with the largest increases in motor vehicle thefts compared with 2025. He directed DJS Secretary Betsy Fox Tolentino to work with law enforcement and other state and local agencies to identify children involved in vehicle thefts, as well as those considered at elevated risk, and connect them with services. The plan calls for coordination among families, social service providers and police, using existing interagency “Youth of Concern” meetings to identify young people and arrange prevention services. DJS is also instructed to create a specialized early-intervention pathway for children involved in stolen-vehicle incidents who cannot be formally charged. The directive calls for agencies to intervene before criminal charges arise, with schools, social workers and law enforcement among those involved in identifying concerning behavior. It does not propose changing juvenile charging laws or expanding detention, and it does not say whether families must participate or what would happen if they decline services. Moore also asked DJS to explore a longer-term program modeled on Ramsey County, Minnesota’s Youth Auto Theft Intervention Project. That initiative pairs law enforcement with community navigators and trusted community members to engage young people considered at high risk. Maryland would examine how a similar approach could build on DJS’s existing Thrive initiative, but the directive sets no launch date for that effort. The governor said the state must intervene before a tragedy occurs. The order references his May 2026 Safe Summer Directive, which he said improved coordination among agencies and helped prevent planned teen takeovers. DJS is required to provide Moore’s team an initial status report on the auto-theft initiatives by Dec. 1. The directive took effect immediately and remains in place until further notice.