Howard County police are offering a reward of up to $1,500 for information about a recent break-in at the former Harriet Tubman school in Columbia, which is under construction as part of a building renovation. Detectives are releasing photos (see below) in an effort to generate tips and encourage someone with information to come forward.
Police were called July 27 to the 8000 block of Harriet Tubman Lane by a construction employee reporting that someone had entered the construction site overnight and broken into a locked room being used to store memorabilia of significance as part of the building's conversion to the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center.
Police found broken glass in some of the building’s original interior doors, construction materials and equipment in disarray, and damage to some of the memorabilia, including the frames and glass of a few pieces of artwork being stored in the room. Police also found an inappropriate drawing of a sexual nature on a chalkboard. Nothing was reported stolen. Because of the cultural significance of the building, police are looking into hate-bias as a possible motive.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police at 410-313-STOP or HCPDcrimetips@howardcountymd.gov.
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