NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WRKN) — Multiple minors were taken into custody in Nashville after guns and body armor were stolen from police vehicles in Smyrna last weekend, according to officials.

The public learned about the equipment thefts after the Mt. Juliet Police Department reported a chase on Monday, Oct. 30 involving “heavily armed suspects.” 

Roughly two hours later, the city of Smyrna released a statement saying the Smyrna Police Department had three vehicles targeted and burglarized at an officer’s residence on Sunday, Oct. 29. The suspects involved stole police equipment, including tactical armor and firearms.

Mt. Juliet police tried to stop the suspect vehicle after a pursuit down Mt. Juliet Road by deploying spike strips, but the car drove around them and into the Antioch area, prompting authorities to notify the Metro Nashville Police Department.

Metro police told News 2 the suspect vehicle was lost by the time they were alerted about Monday’s chase. However, officials confirmed the car — described as a 2019 Hyundai Sonata — had been stolen out of Nashville on Thursday, Oct. 26 from Hickory Hollow Terrace, four days before it was spotted by a Mt. Juliet license plate reader.

A spokesperson for the town of Smyrna sent the following statement to News 2 on Friday, Nov. 3: “One juvenile has been arrested in connection with these crimes. This remains an active and ongoing investigation.”

However, less than two hours later, Metro police told News 2 multiple juveniles had been taken into custody in relation to the Smyrna thefts.

Officials said the stolen Hyundai was spotted and followed to a home on McPherson Drive Wednesday, Nov. 1. Three teenagers got out of the vehicle and were taken into custody. After Smyrna police interviewed them, two of the teens were not charged, but the third had outstanding warrants in Rutherford County unrelated to the stolen police weapons.

According to authorities, they recovered stolen police equipment, including Smyrna police body armor, from the Hyundai. In addition, with the homeowner’s permission, officers searched the McPherson Drive residence, which led to the discovery of two guns — a Glock 17 that was also stolen from Smyrna on Sunday, as well as a Ruger LCP with its serial number scraped off — but neither of them were police firearms.

The investigation also led detectives to a home on Hickory Hollow Terrace, where two other teenagers were taken into custody. Police said both teens had handguns that were from the same apartment complex on Thursday, so they were charged with juvenile handgun possession, but the firearms did not belong to law enforcement.

The Hickory Hollow Terrace homeowner allowed investigators to search the residence, where they recovered several items belonging to Smyrna police, including a gas mask and gear, officials said. However, no guns were found inside.

Metro police emphasized that this incident is unrelated to the burglary of a Cheatham County deputy’s vehicle on Amberwood Circle in Bellevue on Tuesday, Oct. 31, which remains under investigation.

No additional details have been released.