A Lithonia man was arrested Friday night after what police called suspicious activity near a Buford storage facility.
Gwinnett County Police Sgt. Michelle Pihara said a police helicopter was patrolling the area of a U-Haul storage facility on Buford Drive near Interstate 985 due to a reported burglary threat.
"As they were flying over, they found a suspicious male who was trying to make entry into the lot," Pihara said. "That male eventually climbed the fence and made his way towards several box trucks that were on the property. The suspect did find one box truck that was open and he placed his items inside."
The crew in the helicopter called in the activity at around 9:30 p.m. and requested crews on the ground to investigate. The suspect, who was later identified as Deyonte Joseph, age 30, allegedly fled on foot when officers arrived.
"After a brief foot pursuit, the officers tased the suspect and eventually placed him under arrest," Pihara said. "While this was going on, the aviation unit pilots were making contact with the officers who were on the ground and telling them where to go to try to find the suspicious male."
Joseph faces charges of loitering and prowling as well as possession of marijuana and was recently released from jail on bond.
Pihara said the case is a testament to the work of the department's aviation units.
"The Gwinnett County Aviation Unit provides an invaluable asset to out department. Not only do we have two helicopters, but we also have a fleet of drones and they are invaluable to assisting our uniform investigations in the air to our officers that are on the ground," Pihara said.
