A Bowdon man allegedly broke into nine vehicles early Thursday to steal thousands of dollars in belongings while the victims were inside a Carrollton restaurant unaware that anything was amiss.

Carrollton Police Capt. Chris Dobbs said Ronald Lee Hannan, 25, was charged with nine counts of entering an automobile after he allegedly went on a crime spree in the Maple Street Mansion parking lot before he was caught around 1 a.m.

A security guard working at the restaurant first spotted Hannan rummaging through the employee’s own pickup and confronted him, according to police.

Dobbs said officers were already en route to the restaurant after someone called 911 reporting gunfire in the area, and when police arrived they saw the security guard chasing Hannan through the parking lot before the man was apprehended.

Police checked inside the Tahoe that Hannan rode in earlier to the restaurant, and said they found another man sitting inside intoxicated. Officers found a navigational device, miscellaneous CDs, gift cards and a gun holster in the sport utility vehicle.

Dobbs said officers then saw that the security guard’s pickup was not the only vehicle in the parking lot that had been broken into, and police asked the people inside the restaurant to come outside and check to see if their cars had also been targeted.

A total of nine vehicles had been broken into that night, according to police, with more than $2,000 in property, checks and a gun stolen.

Dobbs said most of the stolen property had been found by police after Hannan allegedly tried to hide the items in the wood line next to the restaurant.

Officers said an Apple iPod, earrings, cassette converter, gift cards, disks, sunglasses, police scanner, purse, XM radio, clothing, semi-automatic handgun and several digital cameras were reported missing by the victims. Police said the firearm was among the items that have not been recovered.

Some of the vehicles that were broken into had been left unlocked, Dobbs said, but officers are continuing to investigate how Hannan was able to enter all nine of the cars involved since none of the cars had any windows that had been broken.

Hannan was also charged with possession of tools for the commission of a crime after police allegedly found knives and a flashlight.

“Anytime someone goes out to an establishment such as a store, restaurant or bar - even if they do not plan on staying long - they should always lock their vehicle,” Dobbs said. “Never leave anything valuable in plain sight. This especially includes GPS devices. If a thief sees one hanging on a dashboard, then that is what they target. Always keep purses and other valuables hidden under a seat or concealed in a trunk. The less someone sees in a car the better.”

Police continue to investigate the incident and are asking anyone who might have been at the restaurant that was a victim that could have left before the break-ins were detected to call the Carrollton Police Department at 770-834-4451.