The swift response of residents and police led to the arrest of a vehicle theft suspect.

It has recently come to light that a teenager attempting to steal a vehicle was caught in the act due to the quick actions of residents and police.

This incident demonstrates how the keen observation of local residents and the rapid response of the police played a crucial role in preventing crime.

According to the Daejeon Police Agency and the Yuseong Police Station, a report was received on May 26th regarding a man behaving suspiciously in the ground parking lot of an apartment complex in Yuseong-gu.

At that time, a teenager, referred to as A, was seen loitering in the parking lot, pulling on the door handles of parked vehicles, and shining a flashlight at the interior of the cars, which aroused suspicion.

Residents and a security guard who witnessed this immediately reported it to 112, and police officers dispatched to the scene apprehended A during a patrol.

Initially, A denied the crime, saying, "I came over to a friend's house and was just walking around with a flashlight because it was dark," but he reportedly confessed after police presented CCTV footage as evidence.

Regardless of being a minor, he was arrested as he was caught in the act with clear evidence.

Police assessed that A had entered into the act of theft and arrested him as a suspect in the attempted theft.

Typically, arrests of minors do not occur frequently, but in this case, since the evidence of wrongdoing was clear, action was taken.

A police official stated, "Although he is a minor, it was evident that he intended to steal as he had entered and exited the vehicle, so we immediately arrested him and have completed the process of sending him to the prosecution. Thanks to the swift discovery, the crime was prevented from progressing further."

Meanwhile, the Yuseong Police Station is investigating A's prior criminal record and will scrutinize whether there are additional offenses.

Image source: Daejeon Police Agency, illustrative photo provided for understanding / gettyimagesbank