Police Arrest Scooter Theft Suspect

University of Maryland Police arrested a man they say was involved in a campus motor scooter theft on Saturday, amidst a spike in scooter thefts this year.

Officers arrested Kevin Daniel Aguilar, a 19-year-old man from Washington, D.C., after an officer observed him and one other male drive the scooter on a sidewalk and attempt to escape through Old Town, according to a police statement.

Officers later connected Aguilar with a laptop theft from the McKeldin Library earlier this month, police said.

Motor scooter thefts have more than doubled this year. In 2010, there were 11 reported scooter thefts, compared with 26 so far this year, Limansky said.

Limansky said most of the stolen scooters were left unsecured, or secured with a cable. He suggested using a kryptonite U-lock.

“I can’t think of one that was stolen that has a U-lock,” he said.

These are the details of Saturday’s incident, according to the police statement:

• A police officer observed two males on a scooter driving on the sidewalk near Regents Drive and U.S. Route 1. When the officer attempted to stop the scooter, it sped away to the Old Town neighborhood, with the officer in pursuit.
• The passenger jumped off of the scooter on Knox Road. The driver — Aguilar — continued to College Avenue, where he jumped off the scooter, and a foot chase ensued. Officers caught Aguilar behind a house at 4605 College Ave.
• After a Security Operations Center employee notified the investigating detective of a similarity between Aguilar and a suspect of a McKeldin Library laptop theft earlier this month, Aguilar also admitted to stealing the laptop.

Aguilar faces charges for resisting arrest, failing to obey an officer, attempting to elude an officer, and several traffic-related charges. Criminal charges are pending. He will appear in court in January in Hyattsville.

According to court documents, Aguilar faces two charges for fourth-degree burglary from October, with a December trial scheduled in Rockville.

The scooter passenger is still at large. He is described as a 6-foot-tall black male with short hair. He was last seen wearing khaki trousers and a navy blue sweatshirt with grey on the shoulders.