Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong said three individuals were arrested early this morning after they were caught cutting a catalytic converter from a van in a church parking lot.
Deputies arrested the following individuals:
• John William Hinkle, 26, of Knoxville was charged with possession of burglary tools, burglary of a motor vehicle, and vandalism. He is confined in the Blount County Correctional Facility on bonds totaling $13,500.
• Jonathan Hans Wellman, 19, of Knoxville was charged with possession of burglary tools and burglary of a motor vehicle. He is confined in the Blount County Correctional Facility on bonds totaling $6,000.
• Hannah Marie Handmacher, 20, of Speedwell was charged with burglary of a motor vehicle. She is confined in the Blount County Correctional Facility on a $3,500 bond.
All three individuals are scheduled to appear in Blount County General Sessions Court at 9 a.m. July 11, 2022.
Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a church located on Calderwood Highway shortly after midnight to the call of a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot. When the first deputy arrived he saw a small red sedan in the back parking lot of the church. As he moved closer, he spotted a man and woman standing near one of the church vans, and another man underneath the van. One of the suspects attempted to flee on foot, but stopped when the deputy ordered him to the ground. As other deputies arrived, the three suspects were taken into custody. One of the suspects admitted that they decided they should try to steal a catalytic converter for money. Deputies located the burglary tools near the van and damage to the exhaust pipe near the location of the catalytic converter.
During the course of the investigation, deputies learned that a member of the church staff saw the same red vehicle in the church parking lot the night before and someone attempted to remove the catalytic converter from one of the vans. This prompted that citizen to spend the night at the church Thursday night in an effort to thwart the burglary.
Unfortunately, catalytic converter thefts are not uncommon. Criminals steal them because they are composed of valuable and precious metals that they can sell to make easy money. As of July 1, 2021, the State of Tennessee made it more difficult to purchase or sell an unattached catalytic converter as a single item, and those who violate the law can be charged with a Class A misdemeanor, but catalytic converter thefts still occur. The following are some theft prevention measures you can take to prevent this from happening to you:
• You can install a catalytic converter theft prevention device which will make it harder to remove the catalytic converter. It typically comes as a shell or cage that goes around the catalytic converter.
• Park your car in safe, well-lit areas and in areas where you know security cameras are installed.
• You can also have your VIN etched onto the catalytic converter so that if the converter is stolen it may be returned to you after an attempted sale.
You will know if your catalytic converter has been stolen. As soon as you start your vehicle it will make a loud roaring sound.
“In this case, a member of the church staff witnessed these three individuals attempting to burglarize one of the church vans and he immediately reported it to 911,” Sheriff Berrong said. “Our deputies were able to respond quickly and catch the criminals in the act. Please don’t hesitate to report any suspicious activity. Sheriff’s deputies are constantly patrolling the county and our response time is normally within a few minutes of receiving a call. The sooner you report suspicious activity, the better chance we have of preventing a crime from occurring.”
Original source can be found here
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