Thieves At Large After Breaking Into Douglas County Cars

DOUGLASVILLE, GA — Douglas County residents are being warned to lock up their cars at night after a string of vehicle break-ins last week, including one incident where gunshots rang out, say local authorities. Several break-ins occurred overnight Thursday in the Central Church/Reid Road area, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

In one incident, a homeowner interrupted several thieves who were attempting to steal items from a vehicle. While fleeing, one of the thieves pulled a gun "and fired multiple shots into the ground," the sheriff's office said in a statement. No one was injured.

On Friday morning, deputies searched the area for the burglars, finding that 17 vehicles had been entered. They also recovered a vehicle that had been stolen in Union City, the sheriff's office said.

The thieves are not from Douglas County, and are "most likely from South Fulton County," the sheriff's office said. (For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here)

Other communities in metro Atlanta have seen similar burglaries. All of the vehicles that were entered had been unlocked, and the office urged residents to lock their vehicles at night and remove all valuables, including firearms.

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