Police Investigating Coin Box Thefts in Essex-Middle River

Baltimore County police need the public’s assistance in curtailing a series of burglaries of coin-operated washing machines in the Essex-Middle River area.

Since Dec. 1, police have reported at least six such burglaries in the area, with all of them happening in the laundry room of apartment buildings. According to police reports, the washing machines are usually damaged, the coin boxes pried open and the quarters taken.

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Captain Steven Hlavach, precinct commander of the Essex Precinct, said the thieves typically only get away with no more than $100 in quarters, but the damage they cause to the washing machines, and sometimes the laundry room doors they pry open, often costs much more.

“It’s really causing a lot of damage to these machines for what is really not a lot of money,” Hlavach said.

Hlavach said much like copper thefts that have plagued the area in recent years, stealing money from coin boxes is a crime of opportunity and hard to tell if they are related to each other.

In many cases, Hlavach said, the thefts go unreported for hours or even days because residents hear a noise but just think it’s people doing their laundry while others see the machines are broken and don’t think to tell anyone.

“If you hear something in your apartment building near the laundry room, don’t assume it’s nothing,” Hlavach said. “If it’s something that might be suspicious, don’t hesitate to call the precinct or 911. The longer we are called after the incident, the harder it is to solve the case. We could use the public’s help in curtailing these incidents.”

Here are some of the most recent washing machine coin box thefts reported to the

• Handsworth Place, 1200 block, between 12:30 p.m. Feb. 1 and 2:44 p.m. on Feb.  2: About $50 in quarters was reported stolen after someone broke into the coin box of an apartment building washing machine. Total loss: $50.
• Queen Purchase Drive, 1100 block, 12:30 a.m., Jan. 18. A dryer was vandalized and $80 was stolen from a coin box of a washing machine in the laundry room of an apartment building. Total loss: $580.
• Snowberry Court, 700 block, 4:55 p.m. Jan. 15: A coin box was destroyed and $100 was reported taken from the washing machine.
• Sharondale Way, unit block, between 9 p.m. Jan. 13 and noon Jan. 14: About $100 in quarters was reported taken from the coin box of an apartment building washing machine.
• Wilson Point Road, 800 block, between 8 p.m. Dec. 28 and 7 a.m. Dec. 29: A coin box for a washing machine was pried open at an apartment complex.  No money was in the box at the time. Total loss: $500.
• Timber Creek Court, unit block, Dec. 2-4: A coin box was pried open and the money was reported stolen from a coin-operated dryer at an apartment building.