Crime & Safety

Updated: Alleged Burglar Stuck in Chimney for 10 Hours

Gwinnett County Fire crews were able to quickly rescue him from a residential chimney.

Gwinnett County Firefighters rescued a 17-year-old from a chimney in a Norcross area home. The teenager, who was allegedly trying to burglarize the home, was rescued just after 1 p.m. today and said he had been stuck there since 3 a.m. 

Fire and rescue workers were dispatched to 5900 Lanier Blvd. around 1 p.m. today, after a neighbor heard screaming coming from the rooftop. They arrived at the house, they located a person in the chimney, who has now been identified as Renaldo Jack. The first crews to arrive called in the Technical Rescue Team, which went to work rescuing the person, according to a fire department release.

“The on scene units were able to quickly extricate the male from the fireplace in short order,” according to Lt. Eric Eberly, bringing the situation under control by 1:24 p.m. 

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The teenager is being charged with burglary of the home, according to Cpl. Jake Smith of the Gwinnett County Police Department. Smith said the case is still being investigated, so he is unsure if Jack was attempting to enter or exit the home through the chimney. 

Jack first told investigators that he was 16 years old, so they planned to take him to a youth detention center. They found out later that he was, in fact, 17 years old. 

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The person who resides at the Lanier Boulevard home was not in last night, so she is still being notified. 

Jack was checked out by paramedics and immediately released, according to Smith, so his injuries do not appear to be serious.


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