Former public works employee caught trying to steal an ATM receives one-year sentence

A former Baltimore public works employee caught in December using a city truck to try to steal an ATM in Owings Mills has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor offenses.

Kirk Parker Jr., 37, entered guilty pleas on June 8 to attempted theft of $1,500 to $25,000 and malicious destruction of property worth more than $1,000. He was sentenced the same day to one year and 18 months supervised probation, according to court records.

Parker originally was charged with a range of offenses, including second-degree burglary, a felony, plus theft and malicious destruction of property.

His attorney from the public defender’s office did not respond to a request for comment sent by email.

John Cox, a deputy state’s attorney for Baltimore County, said this week the ATM was freestanding, not part of a building, so the crime didn’t qualify as a burglary. The plea, Cox said, was for “what he actually did.” Cox confirmed Parker’s sentence.

Baltimore County Police said at the time officers were responding to a report of a burglary around 3:30 a.m. Dec. 29 when they saw a truck in front of an ATM with chains around it. Parker, police said, ran when he saw officers and was taken into custody after a chase.

The vehicle used in the attempted ATM theft was a Ford truck registered to the City of Baltimore, according to police. Both the front license plate and city emblem had been taped over.

A spokesman for the city’s Department of Public Works confirmed Parker worked for the agency at the time of his arrest. A city salary database listed Parker as a licensed commercial driver for Public Works since 2019, with an annual salary of $38,805.

Jennifer Combs, a spokeswoman for the agency, said Thursday that Parker was fired as of Jan. 25.

She declined to comment further, calling it a personnel matter.