Neighbors say teenagers crashed car through gate after car break-ins

ATLANTA — A car full of teenagers being pursued by police down a residential street in northwest Atlanta came to a dead end and crash through a gate on Hatteras Way.

Neighbors patched the hole in the fence, but the homeowner's mailbox is still broken and on the ground.

Residents in the Riverside community say the occupants of the car are all 15 -- and were breaking into cars when police caught up to them.

"I don't park on the street but I have friends who come by, so I’m concerned about their safety and also the safety of the kids. Like, what is going on in the community that we can't build together and these kids don't have other activities?” resident Renee Hannah said.

Police chased the teens, who scattered into the woods.

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One of them was eventually caught.

Residents tell Channel 2's Carl Willis they're well aware of the trend of thieves smashing their way into cars, but they were not prepared for this scene.

"I don't want to see an uptick in crime. I want to be safe,” Hannah said.

They believe there's a bigger issue of idle hands leading to the frequency of these crimes.

They hope those breaking into cars stop before it's too late.

"You may break into a car, but you may not leave with your life at the end of the day,” Hannah said. “So I think it's a bigger community issue."

Cox Media Group