A vehicle found Wednesday morning in the Patapsco River had been taken in a "bump and rob" carjacking earlier in the day in Southwest Baltimore, police confirmed.
Police said a 43-year-old man was driving in the 5300 block of Frederick Avenue around 1 a.m. when he was hit from behind by a dark colored sedan. When he got out to inspect the damage, two males told him to give up the car.
He turned to run, and the suspects took off in both vehicles. The victim was unharmed.
The 2003 Mercedes Benz was removed from the river near South Hanover and Potee streets around 6:30 a.m. It was not clear how the vehicle ended up in the water or whether anyone was hurt.
The "bump and run" trend carjacking trend has been occurring in recent months, across the city.
Earlier this month, police reported a rash of cases from South Baltimore to the Johns Hopkins University's Homewood neighborhood and Northeast Baltimore. Police advised residents not to get out of their cars if they are involved in a fender bender.
"Call 911 immediately, lock your doors and remain in your vehicle" if bumped from behind, a police commander told residents. "If possible, try to move your vehicle to an open business or an area captured by cameras. This is a serious issue because a few victims have been beaten and in a few cases the suspects had weapons."
Later last month, police arrested seven teens who they said were involved in a series of such car thefts.