Odessa police arrested seven teenagers on Friday afternoon during an investigation into burglaries in northwest Odessa.
Luis Mendoza Jr., 17, Arthur Lozano, 17, and Jordan Villanueva, 17, were arrested along with a 16-year-old boy, two 15-year-old boys and 15-yeard-old girl, on charges of second-degree felony burglary of a habitation and misdemeanor burglary of a vehicle.
Mendoza and Villanueva were also charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, a state jail felony.
An Odessa police release stated officers responded to the 900 block of West 31st Street at about 11 a.m. Friday on a call in reference to a burglary in the area. As officers contacted the complainant, who said subjects made forced entry into his residence and stole a laptop, a tablet and a black bag, two neighbors approached officers saying their vehicles had also been burglarized while parked in the 3200 block of Pleasant Avenue.
The release stated officers observed a 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage that was confirmed to have been stolen from Midland. Officers saw several juveniles run from a nearby apartment after a marked OPD patrol unit entered the area. OPD detained seven subjects, and they were taken to the police station for further questioning.
The release states Mendoza and Villanueva admitted to driving the stolen vehicle.
Several of the stolen items were recovered and returned to their owners.
