Officers interrupted an auto burglar in the act today and then caught him as he fled in a vehicle loaded with loot, Decatur police said.

Timmie Lamar Anthony Jr., 26, of 318 Tammy Street S.W. was arrested and charged with breaking and entering a vehicle following the 3 a.m. incident on Lynnwood Circle Southwest, police said.

An officer responding to a call about someone breaking into a vehicle arrived to see a man pulling a black bag from the back of a sport utility vehicle, said police spokesman Lt. John Crouch.

The suspect ran out of sight when he saw the officer, but other responding officers stopped a blue Chevy Trailblazer leaving the area a short time later, Crouch said.

“The clothes he was wearing matched the description given by the initial responding officer and there was a large black bag in the passenger seat,” Crouch said.

The bag contained a laptop computer that was reported stolen by the victim.

Police found other items in the vehicle that they suspect may have been stolen during other auto burglaries, including a silver bag with a Cannon Camera with telephoto lens, a Garmin Nuvi GPS, two cell phones, an empty black backpack, another black backpack containing five cell phones and an iPod mini, a battery charger, a pair of Nike shoes new in the box, a CD player, a CB radio, a gold watch and a chainsaw.

Anyone who believes the property might belong to them should call police at 341-4660.

Between Friday morning and Sunday night, 10 vehicle break-ins were reported in the city, mostly in Southwest Decatur.

Anthony was being held in Decatur City Jail and was to be later transferred to Morgan County Jail.