Two teenagers, ages 13 and 15, were hospitalized in police custody Thursday morning after allegedly breaking into as many as 10 cars in Midtown parking lots, then leading police on a chase before crashing a stolen SUV in northwest Atlanta.
Atlanta police Capt. Van Hobbs said that an officer on patrol near Peachtree Place and Crescent Avenue just before midnight Wednesday was flagged down by someone who had witnessed two males in a white Jeep Cherokee breaking into cars at Crescent and 10th Street.
“He goes over to the area, sees the vehicle in the parking lot, the suspects see him and they take off at a high rate of speed,” Hobbs told AM750 and 95.5FM News/Talk WSB.
The officer gave chase, but later lost sight of the Cherokee and his supervisor canceled the chase, Hobbs said.
“Just a couple of seconds later, an officer on Donald Lee Hollowell [Parkway] saw a white Jeep Cherokee traveling with no headlights on, making a sharp turn onto Holly Street,” Hobbs said. “The officer turned onto Holly Street behind the vehicle to see what the situation was; as he crested a hill near Holly and Carlisle [Street], the Cherokee had crashed into a vehicle at that intersection.”
Hobbs said the two teenage suspects and the female driver of the second vehicle all sustained minor injuries and were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in stable condition.
“While on the scene, information was received that the Jeep Cherokee had been stolen out of Zone 5 earlier in the evening, and also that at 999 Peachtree Street, approximately five vehicles were broken into, and video surveillance at that location showed this white Jeep Cherokee and the two suspects that are in custody involved in that theft as well,” Hobbs said.
He said the suspects, whose names have not been released, will be charged with theft by taking auto, criminal damage to property, entering auto and other charges relating to the pursuit.
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