Howard County police added three garage burglary reports to a streak tallied in Ellicott City early Thursday, bringing the total thefts and attempted entries to seven for that day.
In the 5200 block of Forest Meadow, someone ransacked a car parked outside a home and took a garage door opener. On nearby Fieldstone Court, a thief entered an open garage, searched through an unlocked vehicle inside and took a computer and tape recorder, police said.
In another case on Rising Sun, someone tried to pry open a garage, but there was no entry.
The day before, another garage burglary occurred at a home on Cape Ann Drive in Kings Contrivance. Police said someone entered a garage through an open door, walked through another unlocked door into the house, and took a wallet and video camera from inside.
Police said the garage burglaries -- so far 15 similar incidents this year -- have soared past last year's seven such burglaries.
Home raided, cocaine seized, 3 arrested
Howard County police raided an Ellicott City home Thursday evening, seizing cocaine and cash and arresting three people.
Police searching the house in the 3100 block of West Springs Drive at 5 p.m. Thursday found two plastic bags containing 15.4 grams of crack cocaine, razor blades, packaging materials and $86 in cash.
Officers charged Louis Steven Hackett, 24, of the 3300 block of N. Chatham Road with possession of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Mr. Hackett was being held at the Howard County Detention Center on $10,000 bond Friday, a District Court commissioner said.
While police searched the home, another man arrived and was charged with possession of cocaine and drug items. Clifton Louis Bowie, 30, of the 3600 block of Mount Ida Drive was jailed on $2,500 bond Friday.
A third man, identified as Kenneth Lee Hammond, 35, of Dayton was arrested on marijuana charges after police stopped his car in the parking lot. The man, who police said told a District Court commissioner that his first name was Melvin, was released on $1,000 bond.