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Group Of Teens Accused Of Home Break-Ins

Posted: 5:23 pm EDT September 20, 2007Updated: 5:44 pm EDT September 20, 2007

At least 20 teens are accused in a burglary spree and police said they are not finished yet. Police say teens are targeting upscale subdivisions when homeowners are usually gone for the day.

Police said one of the break-ins was caught on videotape. Surveillance video shows a teenager ringing the doorbell to a home to make sure no one is in the house. Then a crowd gathers and a teenager can be seen running and kicking in the front door. The video shows several teenagers walking out the front door of the home in broad daylight with a wide-screen television.

Raw Video: Home Break-In

"I know that it's happening a lot and it's very scary," said homeowner Verina Hunt. "I keep my alarm on during the day because I'm afraid."

Hunt moved into a brand new South Fulton County subdivision assuming crime was not a concern. But in her neighborhood and in other communities nearby, break-in burglaries by teenagers seems to run rampant -- 100 in recent months.

"They're very young," said Capt. Brian Weaver with the Fulton County Police Department. "Some have been arrested that should've been in school because they were juveniles."

Police said they have arrested 20 teens including some of the boys seen in the surveillance video.

"I've heard of one incident where someone said they stole some of the school clothes from one of the children and wore the clothes to school," said Hunt.

"They told me they were high school students and that they case the residences around here and they've been going into basements," said homeowner Sean Bowden.

Several homeowners told Channel 2 that they believe part of the problem was the juveniles received a "slap on the wrist" after being caught.

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