Sandy Springs police stop teen crime spree, 3 arrested

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. - Three teens, believed to be behind a series of burglaries across metro Atlanta, were arrested on Tuesday evening after a chase through Sandy Springs.

The 911 calls started to roll in after residents noticed people dressed in black and wearing ski masks lurking around near Hammond Drive and Peachtree Dunwoody Road.

Two of those teens got in a Hyundai Sonata that had been reported stolen, and police went after them, according to the Sandy Springs Police Department. They didn't make it far, a little more than a mile, before a crash along Perimeter Center Parkway near Lake Hearn Drive. 

The two teens in the car jumped out and tried to make a run for it, but were apprehended about five minutes later. 

Investigators believe those two, along with another teen arrested Wednesday night, committed dozens of crimes in multiple counties over the past few weeks. 

"Gwinnett, Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb (counties), it's been across the metro Atlanta area. Multiple entering autos, smash and grab burglaries, stolen vehicles, It’s been a lot," said Sandy Springs Police Sgt. Leon Millholland.

Those arrested range in age from 14 to 17.

Police discovered that the pair had met at the Metro Regional Youth Detention Center and formed a bond.

"We're thankful to the citizens for calling in the suspicious activity because with their help we were able to apprehend these individuals and fend off the crime spree that's been going on for several weeks," said Sgt. Millholland.

On that night, they used MARTA to travel to Sandy Springs and commit multiple crimes involving automobiles, according to investigators.

One of the vehicles stolen that night, a silver Kia Optima, was used later during a burglary in Gwinnett County and has not been recovered.

Police also determined that the teens were involved in two smash-and-grabs in Sandy Springs on Jan. 22.

The names of the teens were not released.