MOUNT JULIET, TN (WSMV) -
It's the kind of story we don't see often enough. After an early morning crime spree in Mt. Pleasant, the suspect suddenly decided to turn himself in.
Austin Sparks, 20, is accused of breaking into six unlocked cars across the street from Mt. Pleasant High School on Tuesday morning.
Now, even police are shaking their heads at the car thief, whose brief brush with crime may already be over.
Police said Sparks stole a white truck that had the key in its ignition and escaped with change and phones he had taken from the other vehicles.
Later, he pulled the truck into the parking lot at the Mount Juliet Police Department, walked into city hall and surrendered to the city receptionist.
"He had on a little back, and he walked up to my window and said to me, 'I stole a car, and I feel really bad about it right now,'" said receptionist Tina Ginon.
But it was the wrong office. Next door, he spoke with police clerk Kinnie Long.
"It was shocking. He even stated that he felt bad for what he had done," she said.
Police said Sparks stole a GPS, a cellphone and, finally, the truck in Mt. Pleasant. He then drove to Mount Juliet, had a change of heart and decided to turn himself in.
"Usually when they steal a vehicle, they ditch it. It's pretty amazing he had that change heart, and he wants to do right," said Mount Juliet Police Sgt. Tyler Chandler. "Hopefully, when he does go to court, the good dead could be considered."
Copyright WSMV 2012 (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
Austin Sparks (Courtesy: Mt. Juliet police)
