VALPARAISO | Valparaiso police said two burglars made the mistake of burglarizing a home in one of the city's Neighborhood Watch zones.

Police said they arrested both burglars thanks to an alert resident's tip and the quick response from city officers and a Sheriff's Department canine officer.

Valparaiso police Sgt. Michael Grennes said police received a tip about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday that two people were walking around homes and ringing doorbells in the 1800 block of Cedar Street.

Officer Robert Fisher responded and saw the two walking with a pillowcase full of items in the area of Sturdy Road and Beech Street, Grennes said.

Grennes said one of the suspects was arrested on the spot, but the other one fled to a nearby apartment in the 500 block of Sturdy Road. A witness told police where the suspect went and a police canine also tracked to the apartment, leading to the quick arrest of the second suspect. The suspects, both 16-year-old Valparaiso boys, were taken to the Porter County Juvenile Detention Center.

Police said an investigation showed the boys stole a video game system, a DVD player, a camera and video games from a home on Cedar Street.

Grennes said a dozen Neighborhood Watch groups have formed all across Valparaiso since Michael Brickner took over as police chief five years ago, leaving criminals fewer and fewer areas where residents aren't trained to look for and report suspicious activity.

"This (where the burglary occurred) is a community watch neighborhood. That's a good example of how that works," Grennes said.