MARYVILLE, Tenn. — The Blount County Sheriff's Office said two juveniles are in custody after a string of vehicle burglaries in the area over the past week.
According to the BSCO, a 16-year-old and 17-year-old were charged with delinquency by theft of property. The older teen is from Maryville and faces several charges for violating probation in Blount County. The younger teen was reported runaway from Knoxville and is currently in DCS custody.
The sheriff's office said both will face charges in Blount County Juvenile Court in the near future.
According to the BCSO, deputies received reports Wednesday morning that several vehicles had been broken into in the Eagleton area at homes on Cecelia Avenue, Blount Avenue, and others. Other people called in similar crimes as the day went on.
Around 2 p.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to a home on Old Knoxville Pike that reported a runaway juvenile from Knoxville may have been staying at the home. They received information that the teen may have been armed with a handgun.
When deputies arrived, they said they saw a teen run out the back door. Deputies shouted commands to stop, but said he continued to run. Deputies set up a perimeter in the area and took the teen into custody a short while later.
Investigators said they found people's stolen items inside the home where the 16-year-old was staying. The 17-year-old lived at the home, and both were taken into custody Wednesday evening.
The BCSO said it recovered a handgun, purses, wallets, ID cards, cash, credit and debit cards, and other miscellaneous items -- all stolen from unlocked vehicles.
Sheriff James Lee Berrong said people need to make sure they lock their cars and remove valuables from them when unattended to prevent crimes of opportunity like these from occurring.