COVINGTON, Ga. – Quick response by the Covington Police Department resulted in the arrest of five juveniles caught burglarizing a home and got a car returned to its owner shortly after it was reported stolen Monday morning.

According to a CPD incident report, officers were dispatched to an address on Allen Drive just after 8:15 a.m. Monday after the property owner arrived and found the door to the house kicked open. When police searched the residence, they located the five juveniles in the home’s bedrooms.

After the suspects were taken into custody, officers found keys belonging to vehicles that had been stolen in the area in their possession, along with phones, clothing and a debit card.

The juveniles were arrested and charged with burglary, theft by receiving (two counts) and criminal damage to property, all under participation in criminal gang activity.

About two hours later, police received a BOLO (be on the lookout) from the Newton County Sheriff’s Office for a stolen black 2016 Chrysler 200. According to a NCSO incident report, the car had been stolen from the driveway of a residence on Lakeside Circle sometime between 11:30 p.m. Sunday, June 3 and 4 a.m. Monday, June 4.

According to a second CPD report, Officer Matt Holbrook, who had been involved in the Allen Drive arrests, remembered a late model Chrysler key as being one of the keys seized during the arrest of the juvenile burglary suspects.

Holbrook reportedly returned to the Allen Drive area and after a short search located a black Chrysler backed into a vacant lot. He confirmed that it was the same vehicle reported in the BOLO by running the tag.

He was able to match the seized key to the vehicle by pressing the panic button and starting the car. After an evidence tech was dispatched to the scene and processed the vehicle, it was returned to its owner.