THOMASVILLE — A Thomasville teen was out of jail on bond when he was charged with two crimes early Sunday, according to reports.

Devin Devon Willis, 18, 510 Old Albany Road, Apartment N1, is charged with one count of entering auto and one count of felony theft by taking a weapon.

The manager of a Gateway Shopping Center business was leaving work at 12:30 a.m. Sunday when he saw two individuals in his vehicle, according to authorities.

“He confronted them. He actually gave chase to them,” said Sgt. Toby Knifer, assistant commander of the Thomasville Police Department Criminal Investigations Division.

While calling 911, the victim followed the suspects across Remington Avenue into a wooded area behind businesses.

Police found Willis hiding in the woods. A firearm — a loaded semi-automatic pistol — taken from the vehicle was found in woods near where Willis was arrested, Knifer said.

Willis was denied bond Monday and will remain in the Thomas County Jail.

“We were able to apprehend one. The other one got away,” Knifer said.

Willis was one of three people an off-duty police officer said he saw pulling on handles of vehicles in the W.R. Milton YMCA parking lot on South Dawson Street earlier this year.

Willis and the other two males were charged with attempted entering auto in the incident.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820