DeKalb County

3 suspects surrender after hourslong SWAT standoff

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Neighbors were forced out of their homes early Monday morning after police and SWAT swarmed a house in DeKalb County.

Channel 2 Action News learned the owner of the home wasn't inside at the time of the burglary, so the house on Creekford Drive in Lithonia was empty.

Alert neighbors heard glass shattering around 1:30 a.m. and called 911.

Channel 2's Darryn Moore was at the scene as officers surrounded the home.

TRENDING STORIES:

After about five hours, officers were able to get the three suspects to surrender peacefully. Police said the suspects were 30, 20 and 17 years old.

Police think the thieves got in through a window. The home suffered damage included broken windows the police to bust into and holes where police had to put flash-bangs and gas.

“I’m happy about that because almost every house here has little kids. Scary to know there was gunmen," said neighbor Mika Star.

A friend of the homeowner told Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach about her reaction to the burglary.

“She was kind of frantic, out of town and way up there and take a while to get back. She was pretty upset,” said neighbor Greg Crawley.

Thankfully, she wasn't home asleep.