A Dawson County teen was arrested last week after authorities identified him as the culprit in a burglary at Riverview Middle School.

Allan Sanchez, 17, was taken into custody at Dawson County High School March 23, a day after he allegedly entered the middle school on Hwy. 9 South and took an undisclosed amount of money from a cafeteria cash register.

Dawson County Sheriff's spokesman Capt. Tony Wooten said Sanchez used a key to enter the building.

"We're not sure how he came into possession of the key," he said.

Investigators are working with school officials to try to determine how Sanchez got the key.

"We are still investigating how a key got in the hands of a student," said Dawson County School Superintendent Damon Gibbs.

Video surveillance of the car used in the heist led School Resource Officer Stephen Swofford and Deputy Ethan Taffar to the parking lot at the high school, where Sanchez's car was parked.

The new security system recently installed at the middle school is part of a system-wide upgrade that is expected to be complete this summer.

"We are pleased that our new security camera upgrades were able to help us easily identify the individual responsible for the break-in," Gibbs said. "The systems are designed primarily to ensure the safety of our students, but they worked equally as well identifying someone that shouldn't be in our buildings outside of the normal school day."

Sanchez was charged with second degree burglary, a felony. He was released from the Dawson County jail on $10,200 bond March 25, according to jail records.