Photo by Dan Whisenhunt

Decatur Police have arrested a 14-year-old male from DeKalb County after the teenager was allegedly seen breaking into a home on the 200 block of Mountain View Street.

Decatur Police Sgt. Jennifer Ross said that at 7:11 pm on Sept. 2, police got a call about a burglary in progress. The witness told police that four young men knocked on a neighbor’s door and walked to the back of the house. The neighbor heard glass breaking and called 911. Then another neighbor yelled at the suspects. They fled in a black Jeep Cherokee.

Other neighbors saw the suspects fleeing the scene.

When officers checked out the home, they saw the rear door had been forced open and its glass shattered. There were no items missing. Witnesses gave police a physical description and a description of the clothes the suspects were wearing.  They also recorded a tag number for the jeep.

Another Decatur officer spotted the jeep in the 300 block of East Ponce de Leon Avenue. He saw a male running from the area. Then another officer stopped a juvenile in the 200 block of East Ponce de Leon Avenue. Officers later learned the jeep was stolen from a driveway in the 700 block of South Candler Street after 5:45 pm. The owner hadn’t noticed it was missing until officers contacted them.

The witnesses were able to identify the male the officers detained. He was in possession of a large screwdriver and an empty magazine for a handgun. He was charged with burglary and theft by receiving stolen property, Ross said.

Witnesses positively identified the juvenile detained by officers as one of the suspects. The juvenile was found in possession of a large screwdriver and empty magazine for a handgun. The juvenile, a 14-year-old male from DeKalb County, was charged with burglary and theft by receiving stolen property.

“Thank you to all of the neighbors involved for looking out, acting quickly and providing detailed descriptions for the responding officers,” Ross said. “Remember, no police department can function effectively without the assistance of community members. There is no way for officers to know where approximately 20,000 residents live and who or what vehicles normally come and go from individual homes. Also, suspects looking for a potential target will simply move on to another street or area when they see an officer or patrol car. The police are dependent on you to call whenever you observe suspicious persons, activities or motor vehicles.”