MT. JULIET, Tenn. -
A 20-year-old Mt. Pleasant man had a change of heart and confessed to police in Mt. Juliet following an early morning crime spree Tuesday.
Austin Sparks told investigators he broke into six unlocked vehicles parked across the street from Mt. Pleasant High School, stealing spare change, extra keys and phones.
The key was left in the ignition in the sixth vehicle, a white work truck, so he stole it.
Sparks told police he drove the stolen truck to a McDonald's restaurant in Mt. Juliet and while there, began to think about his criminal acts.
The conscious decision of doing right or wrong consumed him, and he decided to drive the stolen vehicle to Mt. Juliet Police headquarters and turn himself in.
"He walked in and told me that he had just stolen a car and it's parked out front," clerk Kinnie Long recalled. "It was shocking. He even stated that he felt bad for what he had done."
Officers met with Sparks, who told them he wanted to start doing the right thing.
"It is very uncommon to have someone willingly confess to crimes," Mt. Juliet police Sgt. Tyler Chandler said. "It's inspiring to see Austin have a change of heart. Hopefully he is now on the right track in life."
He added, "It caught me off guard for sure."
Sparks was booked into the Wilson County jail and will be transferred to Maury County to face charges for his crimes.
