Crime Blotter, Feb. 10-16

Teens caught playing with gun, drinking at playground
A 17-year-old and a Sequoyah Middle School student were caught handling a handgun and drinking in an apartment complex playground Monday afternoon, DeKalb County police said.

A police officer responded to The , 3183 Buford Highway, following a call regarding suspicious persons at the playground at about 12:10pm, the police report said. When the officer arrived, he noticed two teens who fit the descriptions in the call walking toward the playground's gate after leaving the deck.

The officer questioned the teens. The teens, a 17-year-old and the 14-year-old middle schooler, told the officer they were hanging out. While checking out the playground deck, another officer found a silver .380-caliber handgun and two Four Loko alcoholic beverage cans on the deck. The teens admitted to drinking them, and the 17-year-old told police the pistol belonged to a friend, and he had been holding it for him.

The police also spoke with a complex employee who made the 911 call. The woman told police the teens had approached a maintenance worker and asked to buy marijuana. The officer confirmed the 14-year-old's status as a Sequoyah Middle student, and the school told police the boy was supposed to be in school.

The 17-year-old was arrested and charged with underaged possession of a weapon and underaged possession of alcohol. The middle schooler was cited for truancy and underaged possession of alcohol. The police department's gang task force was also called in to investigate.

Man arrested for shoplifting DVD player at Target
An Atlanta man was arrested for shoplifing a DVD player from on North Druid Hills Road on Feb. 11, police said.

The man, 38, was charged with shoplifting after the store's loss prevention officer reported him to a police officer, the police report said. The store employee told police he watched the man take a Memorex DVD player and place it in a book sack at about 10pm.

The officer arrested the man when he left the store with the player. He was taken to DeKalb County Jail.

CORRECTION: The story initially misspelled Sequoyah Middle School. It has been changed in the story.