Family Dog Helps Police Solve Burglary

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A dog in DeKalb County may have helped police solve a string of burglaries. It all started when the animal tracked down several items stolen from a home on McGill Drive in Decatur early Sunday.

"Surprised. I was very surprised," said Robert Justice who trained his dog, Rudy, to sit, but not how to catch a crook.

Justice's family adopted Rudy after several burglaries in the area. Unfortunately, the night thieves busted through a window, Rudy was locked up in his cage.

A few hours after the crime, while walking on a trail behind the house, Rudy suddenly picked up a scent, according to Justice.

"He was pulling me and he was just sniffing constantly on the ground and there it was, my items," said Justice.

The family believes the thieves tried to hide the items in the woods until police left. That's because as Robert went to tell his mother what happened, the thieves came back.

The family said they saw the suspects loading up their stolen stuff and driving away. Robert's mother wrote down the license plate, and passed it along to police, Justice told Channel 2's Rebecca Lindstrom.

Officers arrested seven suspects about 20 minutes later at a fast food restaurant, according to Justice. Police are checking to see if other burglaries in the area are connected.

WSBTV