MLB

Ripken’s mom scares off carjacker 14 months after kidnapping

Cal Ripken Jr.’s mother was the victim of another strange crime in suburban Maryland.

Violet Ripken, 75, was at the bank in Aberdeen, Md., when a man with a handgun approached her and told her that he wanted to steal her car.

Ripken refused to capitulate to the carjacker, activating the panic alarm on her key fob and scaring the man off.

Jesse A. Bowen of Havre de Grace — Ripken Jr.’s hometown — was charged with attempted armed robbery, attempted armed carjacking, possessing a dangerous weapon, first-degree assault, and controlled-substance related charges in connection with the incident, police told the Baltimore Sun.

This is the second time Ripken has been the victim of a crime in the last 14 months. Last July, Ripken was kidnapped from her Aberdeen home, driven around in her car, and released after 24 hours, uninjured.

Police have yet to find the perpetrator, and in August 2012, Ripken Jr. announced a $100,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of his mother’s kidnapper.

“It’s a little unusual for her to be the victim of two crimes in a relatively short period,” said Lieutenant Frank Budnick, an Aberdeen police spokesman, according to the Sun.

Budnick added the two crimes appear to be unrelated.

“There is no indication [Bowen] had any involvement in last year’s case. And there’s no indication he knew who [Ripken] was,” Budnick told the Sun. “Right now, it appears to be a crime of opportunity rather than a targeted issue.”