Decatur Police Officers compare notes in the parking lot of Decatur High. File photo by Dan Whisenhunt

Decatur Police officers made four arrests in the last 24 hours.

Sgt. Jennifer Ross said that on Wednesday at 2 pm, officers responded to an entering auto call in the 400 block of North McDonough. Witnesses told police he saw two males break into a black Range Rover, steal a book bag and head to the gazebo on the Decatur Square. One of the officers found the suspects near the gazebo and approached them. The two males ran. One ran inside the Decatur MARTA station onto a platform. The suspect ditched the backpack into a trash can before running upstairs where he was apprehended by an officer. Police officers said the suspect had a screwdriver in his right front pants pocket. Officers determined the scratch marks on the Range Rover were “consistent with a screwdriver.” The backpack was recovered, including the victim’s property, from the trashcan inside the MARTA station. Police charged the 15-year-old male from Atlanta with possession of tools for the commission of a crime. They couldn’t catch the other suspect.

Also …

– On Wednesday at 9:13 pm, an officer saw a male standing near a vehicle parked on East Howard Avenue near Hillyer Place. The male had “an object in his hand.”

“Due to recent entering autos on that street,  (the officer) continued observing and saw the male stop at another vehicle then change directions,” Ross said. “(Another officer) responded to the area and officers made contact with the male who claimed to be walking from a nearby restaurant.”

The first officer examined the vehicle near where the male was standing and saw marks and cracks on the passenger window. Police detained the suspect and got in touch with the vehicle’s owner. The suspect was “in possession of a unique tool with eight points on the tip that matched the marks of the damaged window,” Ross said. Police arrested Timothy Bolton, 19, of Atlanta and charged him with criminal attempt to enter an auto, loitering, prowling and possession of tools for the commission of a crime.

– On Thursday at 10:55 am, an officer responded to a burglary in progress at the 300 block of East Lake Drive. The caller told police that he heard breaking glass, looked outside and saw two young males standing next to a broken window at his neighbor’s home.

“The witness banged his hand on the window to let the suspects know they were being watched and the suspects ran after seeing him,” he said. “The witness provided descriptive information about the suspects.”

About five minutes later another officer saw two men matching the descriptions of the suspects walking in the area of Oakview Road and Maxwell Street. Both ran behind a house after seeing the officer.

“A foot chase ensued between the backyards and wooded area between Maxwell Street and the 1300 block of Oakview Road,” Ross said. “(The officer) located and arrested one suspect, identified as 17-year-old Brandon Austin Holbrook of Decatur, hiding behind a hot tub in the 200 block of Maxwell Street.  The second suspect, identified  as 18-year-old Alex Pelt of Decatur, was caught and arrested by Officer Alexander while trying to climb a fence behind an apartment complex in the 1300 block of Oakview Road.”

Police charged both with first degree criminal attempt to commit burglary and obstruction of an officer.