Teens accused of breaking into cars in downtown Memphis
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Three teenagers are accused of breaking into cars in the middle of downtown Memphis Monday night.
Memphis Police said three teens targeted parked cars at Peabody Place and Fourth Street at 10 p.m. Officers arrested a 15-year-old, 16-year-old and 17-year-old boy.
MPD said they broke into three vehicles. One of the teens is accused of throwing a gun as they tried to run away. The other two suspects were also armed when police arrested them.
These car break-ins come after a WREG investigation in April showing how often these crimes are happening. Memphis Police said thieves are usually looking for guns.
The owner of an auto glass repair shop told us in some cases, it can take up to weeks to repair windows, and glass for certain models of cars can be harder to get.
“We are probably getting at least 100 calls a day on break-ins, and we get about 20% of that,” Chris Eden, owner of Eden Auto Glass “We are having a hard time getting the glass, especially for the Hyundais and the Kias. We are having to order it from the dealerships or from out of town.”
In this most recent case downtown, detectives said the thieves ripped open a steering column in a Hyundai, which is common when trying to steal a vehicle.
The break-ins are making visitors think twice about where they park when they visit.
“It just cost us $22 for the whole day, and you’re tellin’ me we’re liable to get broken into. That’s not good at all,” said visitor Avery Ganaway.
The teens were charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, attempted theft of property and three counts of auto burglary.
Source: WREG NewsChannel 3
