The DeKalb Police Department arrested Jamal A. Allen, 26, on charges of motor vehicle burglaries and unlawful use of a credit card.

At 6:17 a.m. Monday, the department received a call of burglary to a motor vehicle on Delcy Drive.

About the same time, there also was another report of a citizen seeing footprints going up to cars and garages in the Pickwick area, located west of Delcy Drive. An officer tracked the suspect by following footprints in the new, fallen snow.

While doing that, he was flagged down by another citizen who said his credit card was stolen from his vehicle. By then, the credit card already was used at the BP Amoco, located at First Street and Hillcrest Drive, according to police reports.

The officer continued to follow the footprints until he got to the Around the Clock restaurant, 1039 W. Hillcrest Drive. There he located a suspect wearing boots identical to the footprints in the snow.

After some investigation, Allen was placed under arrest and transported to DeKalb County Jail.

Allen was charged with two counts of burglary to motor vehicles, which is punishable by three to seven years in prison and fines up to $25,000.

He also was charged with one count of unlawful use of credit card, which is punishable by one to three years in prison, and one count of forgery, punishable by two to five years in prison. Each of those charges can earn a fine up to $25,000.

According to the press release, it appeared that the suspect attempted to open several dozen cars and attempted to gain entry into garages using the side door. The police figured that out when the footprints were seen going from car to car.