Nine men have been charged with crimes related to home burglaries in Howard County, Maryland.
The suspects are from two groups that targeted residences in the county in May and September, according to a statement from Howard County Police Department.
While investigating one group on Sept. 3, police said they witnessed six people attempt to break into a house in Highland, Maryland, on the 7100 block of Deer Valley Road. Shortly after, police said they arrested the suspects and charged them with three counts of burglary and one count of destruction of property.
In another case, police said a victim reported $18,000 worth of stolen jewelry from her home in Laurel, Maryland, on May 2. The police department said they identified three suspects in connection to the robbery. The three, who were in custody in another jurisdiction, are charged with three counts of burglary and one count of theft.
Police said the nine suspects are from New York and Florida.
According to the statement, police believe this is part of a nationwide trend of burglaries committed in wealthy areas.