Two Savannah teenagers who were in a stolen truck were arrested Saturday morning after being stopped by officers conducting an operation.
The teens, ages 13 and 14, ran from officers after the pickup was stopped at Ash and East 35th streets, said Julian Miller, Savannah-Chatham police spokesman. They were caught and arrested on East Duffy and 34th streets.
Miller said the truck was stolen after it was left running.
About midnight, two boys riding a bicycle and another accompanying them approached a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado pickup on Alabama Avenue, Miller said. Two of the boys got in the truck and drove off, leaving the bicycle in the street.
The truck was later driven into an area where the police department’s “Total Focus” operation was being conducted.
The 13-year-old was charged with theft by taking auto and obstruction by fleeing and was taken to the youth detention center, Miller said. The 14-year-old was charged with obstruction by fleeing and released to his parents.
“Total Focus” is a county-wide operation of dozens of officers from various units of the police department and sometimes other local law enforcement agencies assigned to intensely patrol areas where criminal activity has been reported, Miller said. Officers seek out known offenders to verify compliance with court orders, perform traffic stops and heavily patrol neighborhoods in addition to regular patrols in those areas, he said.
The latest “Total Focus” operation was carried out Friday and Saturday afternoons and evenings. Neighborhoods were saturated, patrols strengthened downtown and Central Precinct held a roll call in the street in Tatemville.
The operation executed four felony arrests and six misdemeanor charges Friday and another felony and four misdemeanor arrests Saturday, Miller said. For the two nights, 27 citations and 51 traffic citations were issued, along with a city ordinance violation charge and a parking ticket, he said.