HCSO arrests 4 juveniles in part of ‘Operation Sleigh Overwatch’

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) —  The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) arrested 4 juveniles in part of their ‘Operation Sleigh Overwatch’ December 21, 2024.

Deputies assisted Chattanooga Police (CPD) officers on a call in progress involving vehicle break-ins in the Populus Apartments area on Gunbarrel Road.

Authorities were able to identify four individuals matching the suspects descriptions on Pinewood Road.

When deputies approached the individuals, they fled on foot, then proceeded to get into a Hyundai Elantra.

This vehicle was later identified as stolen out of Chattanooga earlier that evening.

HCSO deputies initiated a pursuit, and used a P.I.T. maneuver to stop the vehicle.

Two of the suspects were arrested after a brief foot pursuit.

The remaining two suspects were arrested by CPD officers on Pinewood Road.

Authorities recovered a stolen 9mm firearm, and a window glass breaker from the driver.

The firearm was stolen from a recent car burglary that occurred December 17, 2024.

“Recently, Hamilton County has experienced an increase in vehicle break-ins. As your sheriff, I will not tolerate criminal activity and thieves preying on residents of our county. In response, last week I directed my personnel to initiate Operation Sleigh Overwatch, which focuses on deploying resources and personnel to specific, targeted areas where criminal activity has occurred throughout the holiday season. I will use every resource I have at my disposal, including deploying detectives and additional personnel to night shifts, to apprehend those who are preying on our citizens. Saturday night’s efforts are a prime example of a successful, multi-agency response. Lastly, to the thieves who are choosing to commit these crimes, beware, we are actively looking for you and you’ll never see us coming.”

-Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett

All four suspects were juveniles.

They were all charged in connection to this incident.

The following are the charges in relation to the suspects:

• Evading Arrest
• Reckless Endangerment
• Burglary
• Theft of a Motor Vehicle (valued over $10,000)
• Theft of a Firearm (valued over $1,000)
• Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony
• Possession of Burglary Tools

• Stop Sign Violation
• Traffic-Control Signal Violations (x3)

• Burglary
• Theft of Property (valued over $10,000)

• Evading Arrest
• Resisting Arrest

• Burglary

• Evading Arrest

• Burglary

• Evading Arrest

“This successful effort between the Chattanooga Police Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office is a testament to both agencies’ unwavering commitment to our common goal of keeping our community safe.  When our agencies work together we’re often able to address criminal activity beyond our own jurisdictional area. Thank you to HCSO for assistance in apprehending these four individuals.”

-Chattanooga Police Chief John Chambers

HCSO stated ‘Operation Sleigh Overwatch’ is a covert operation focused on an increased, directed presence of patrol deputies and detectives in key areas of Hamilton County in overnight hours.

The mission of this operation is utilize HCSO units to locate, arrest, and investigate individuals breaking into vehicles.