DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) – A 16-year-old boy was arrested in connection to a string of motor vehicle thefts and break-ins in downtown Durham and the surrounding area.

According to the Durham Police Department, officers responded to a break-in in progress at a hotel parking lot on the 1500 block of North Gregson Street on Aug. 30 at around 3 a.m. After a brief chase on foot, officers apprehended the teenage suspect, who was in possession of a firearm that had been reported stolen in Morrisville, police say.

The juvenile was also involved in several motor vehicle thefts and break-ins in July on the 500 block of Foster Street in Durham and surrounding jurisdictions. According to police, 87 juvenile petitions have been filed on this suspect for the incidents that occurred in Durham.

Meanwhile, the juvenile suspect was previously wanted for charges of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, minor in possession of a handgun and possession of a stolen motor vehicle stemming from a shooting incident in July 2023.

The juvenile is now in secure custody.

Anyone with any further information is asked to call Sgt. M. Stevenson at 919-560-4440 ext. 29554 or CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200.