Columbus crime: Three teens arrested for rash of car break-ins

Columbus State University police arrested three Phenix City teens Thursday night who are believed to be responsible for a rash of vehicle break-ins in downtown Columbus over the past two weeks.

The trio, consisting of two 14-year-olds and a 16-year-old, were spotted breaking into a Ford F-150 pickup truck near the intersection of Front Avenue and 10th Street at about 11:30 p.m. by officers patrolling the area near CSU’s RiverPark campus. After a brief chase on foot, the officers arrested the suspects.

University Police Chief Rus Drew said in a release the teens may have been involved in three other car break-ins earlier Thursday night and eight others over the past two weeks,

All of the cars broken into Thursday night had their driver’s side windows broken out. Officers said they saw the teens wielding a towel-wrapped tool to absorb the sound while breaking into the pickup, Drew said.

Personal items that apparently had been taken from several cars were recovered with the arrests.

All three teens, whose cases would be considered in juvenile court, were released on bond to their guardians.