Brookhaven police announced Tuesday they foiled a home invasion in the act after a quick-thinking homeowner called 911.

The police arrested three men who “forcibly entered the occupied home” on Saxon Valley Place at 3 a.m. Saturday, Maj. Brandon Gurley said. At least one of the men arrested is suspected in a November burglary at the same residence, Gurley said

The men, armed with a handgun, may have been focused on stealing the homeowner’s car.

The break-in, however, triggered an alarm and the resident also called police, Gurley said. Officers surrounded the neighborhood and wood line and arrested the three men seven minutes later, Gurley said.

“Patrol Officers have been carefully watching the area since the original burglary, and their diligence paid off,” Brookhaven Police Chief Gary Yandura said.

Arrested are: Joshua Sims, 32, of Lithonia; Samuel M. Alexander, 25, of Decatur; and Demario R. Flowers, 27, of Decatur. Each man is charged with home invasion. In addition, Sims is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and other gun and drug possession crimes.

Sims is suspected in a November burglary at the same residence, Gurley said.

The three men are being held in the DeKalb County jail. Police are still searching for a fourth suspect, Gurley said.

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Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

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