A break-in at Southlake Mall early Tuesday ended in two arrests after a chase through the darkened mall and into a nearby wooded area.
The two arrested may have been interested in “a little late night shopping” at the mall, but there were a few things out of place, according to Morrow police. First, the mall was closed for business, and second, the duo allegedly “did not pay for the goods,” officials said.
Officers were dispatched to the mall at 1:37 a.m., according to police Chief Jimmy Callaway. By 1:59 a.m., 17-year-old Zarak Richardson and 22-year-old Travon Arnold were in handcuffs.
“After prying open one of the service area doors, they decided to help themselves to some merchandise,” police said in a Facebook post announcing the arrests. “... They broke into five different kiosks within the mall.”
They reportedly didn’t know they were being watched by Morrow police officers “like white on rice.”
“After a little stalking and sneaking up on them, I guess they got a whiff of the popo,” the department quipped on Facebook, adding that their officers “don’t smell like bacon.”
Richardson and Arnold allegedly took off running through the mall, setting off a chase that continued out the doors. There, Clayton County police dogs took up the pursuit. They were apprehended by the K-9 unit with the assistance of county police officers and sheriff’s deputies.
Both face six counts of burglary and a single count of obstruction. Richardson, who is from Rex, was booked into the Clayton County Jail, and Arnold was taken to a hospital for treatment of a dog bite, Callaway said. He was expected to be booked later Tuesday.
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