How can it be a hate crime? It's only a hate crime when it's whites against a african american.

Hopefully the next man they try to assault will be an Undercover Police Officer.

These are unfortunate instances of young kids without the right parenting or lack thereof. Actions like these only strengthens existing stereotypes. The Baltimore PD had better step it up.

I've been arguing with my wife for the past two months that running by myself late at night (around 8:30 or 9:00) in the Canton/Patterson Park area was safe and that I would be fine. She has officially won the argument.

When the police arrest these thugs although they may be juveniles, the States Attorneys Office must ensure they go to jail no deals. The message must be sent, this will not be tolerated. The decent citizens deserve protection.

I live in Upper Fells. It is a great place with amazing neighbors. Recently, however, there have been a lot of issues coming from Perkins Homes and the foot traffic on Broadway is going downhill quick. If Baltimore wants to increase its tax base and improve the city, they need to start protecting the law-biding, tax-paying citizens…. Getting rid of Perkins would be to best first start.

@Mike - Who says hate crimes have to be only whites against blacks? Unfortunately, racism and bigotry exist in all forms. Anybody can be a victim of a hate crime regardless of color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc.

"in groups numbering between 2 and 10": better carry 2 guns.

It has been my experience that black people are FAR more racist then white people. Even the white people i know that have an issue with black people, its not because of their skin color. In otherwords, they don't dislike all black people because they are black, just the thugs, the G's, the people who think its cool to be tough, the people who don't contribute from society and cause trouble for others....which sadly today is mostly in the african american lower income areas.

Consider the Pointers alerted. Looks like another summer/ fall of not walking alone, ever. Last year it was the serial rapist, now this.

Racism takes many forms-there in no one form or type. I have always lived in the city, white, raised amongst black neighborsm friends, and some blacks I would call my other mother or father.

The states attorney needs to drop its lens and just follow the law. Time is out to think many of these kids will make anything of themselves. Many of the boys turn into young men who dodge child support payments by quitting jobs after two paychecks. It never ends. I think dodgers of child support should go to jail. I think Pat jessamy needs to get over the race card and send the bottom rung of behavior to jail. Fact is abuse, genetics, no education, it all plays a roll.
These bums should not get easy sentences so that they continue the easy fatherless road and breed the next wave of neglected kids!

Reform does not work without loss-bums need to lose and freedom families need not lose their freedoms and kids!

VOTE OUT PAT JESSAMY!

Hopefully the Sun will keep on this story and monitor the outcome and progress - or lack there of. As a resident of this hood, I've read with great interest the recent story about the challenge to the Concealed Carry (gun) laws in MD. I was never an advocate of folks carrying, in any other city I lived in, but baltimore mayhem calls for extreme ACTION!

Keep up the good work Justin and Peter and please keep on this...

Sadly, anywhere there is nearby public housing you will have the spillover. Capital Hill in DC has tons of problems with street robberies and assaults. There needs to be more of a police presence. Columbia has had a lot of problems with section 8 spillover and assaults. It is time to bring back high rises instead of spreading and sharing the pain!

We need to allow law-abiding people to carry a firearm. If some of these punks got blasted while attempting to jack someone maybe others would think twice.

The people doing these strong armed robberies are black, ignorant, cowardly hood rats. Without numbers and weapons they're powerless little dirtbags, as a group they lash out against those that they perceive as privileged. They've been schooled from an early age that the white man is the oppressor, combine that with a dead end existence, and they are out to wreak havoc on society. They have no conscience, and will take a life for pocket change, and unfortunately they aren't going away, quite the opposite. In addition to crime, they are also very good at procreation, and one lost generation creates another. There are no solutions to this problem, the court system in Baltimore is horribly over loaded and you can't put enough officers on the street to stop this threat, therefore Baltimore will eventually turn back into the ghost town it one was. All the respectable tax payers will tire of the threat and move out and the tourist and suburbanites will stop coming. Then all the thugs, and punks can reign supreme. I'm already done with it, who needs to be bullied and intimidated by the lowest common denominator of human existence. Unfortunately they are too short sighted and dumb to understand how the world works, and the Baltimore school system doesn't have the tools to teach those who don't want to learn. It's a sad state of affair, but it's not going to change. So to all you black punks, thugs, and hoods, enjoy your own private little hell AKA Baltimore City ... too bad none of them will ever read this!

Don't you think it's time for a "one strike and you're dead policy"??? You stab me and take my phone? You die. What's so hard about that?

I'll tell you...

The black race is still filled with animals who haven't fully evolved into REASONING human beings. The brain isn't yet wired to say "ok, if I stab this person, I will get punished, so I better not". Dolphins make better choices.

Seriously, this "spill over" exists because there is no fear of punishment.

Someone please step up and say out loud what the problem is!! The BLACK folk of Baltimore have destroyed the city and haven't fully evolved enough to know that this is a civilization, not a jungle.

ENOUGH!!!! We ALL know what the problem is, now let's do something about it!!!!!

All of you racist idiots should be ashamed of yourselves. But you won't be because you are too ignorant to even realize how counterproductive and idiotic your beliefs and opinions really are.

I understand the frustration and sadness of race relations and ignorant violent crime in Baltimore. I live in this neighborhood. But making blanket racist accusations is not only stupid, but perpetuates behavior of this kind by reinforcing "race war" ideology. I'm sure that there are plenty of black police officers now assigned to patrol this neighborhood. I suppose they are part of the problem too?

And for the record, the BLACK folk of Baltimore ARE the inner city. Your idea for "improving the city" is tantamount to genocide. You are a racist fool. Just stay home, that way you will be safe AND I won't have to be around your ignorant ass.