382 wanted criminals arrested in sweep

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. - A regional warrant apprehension task force arrested 382 people wanted for various crimes during a sweep conducted over the 2011 holiday season.

Typically, the Baltimore County component of the task force arrests about 120 people on warrants each month.  "Getting violent criminals off the street is a top priority," said Police Chief James Johnson. "The support from the Governor's Office made it possible for us to arrest more than three times the number of people that we usually do."

The initiative was supported by a $90,000 grant from the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention (GOCCP).

The initiative began on November 28 and went through December 23. During that period, the task force arrested people on outstanding warrants covering a wide variety of charges including murder, rape and armed robbery.

One of the most notable arrests included James Young, a man wanted on a Baltimore County warrant for sodomizing a 13-year-old boy and on warrants from the State Police for escape and the Baltimore City Police for second degree assault. The U.S. Marshal Service helped police find Young in Michigan where he is awaiting extradition back to Maryland.

Kristen Mahoney, Executive Director of the Governor's Office of Crime Control & Prevention, said, "This grant funding is a critical part of efforts by the O'Malley-Brown Administration to keep our neighborhoods safe."