UPDATE:
In Cumberland County, police arrested two men for stealing thousands of dollars in car parts.
Police say Spencer Thomas and Matthew Fordyce admitted to planning the theft of 15 catalytic converters from CV Motors Dodge in Silver Spring Township.
The men then went to two scrap yards with the stolen parts to sell them.
Thomas and Fordyce were taken to the Cumberland County Prison where they will be arraigned on charges of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
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Fifteen catalytic converters were recently stolen from diesel-fueled, new trucks, at Cumberland Valley Motors Dodge on the Carlisle Pike.
Catalytic Converters convert harmful pollutants into less harmful emissions before they leave a vehicle's exhaust system. They're also worth a lot of money in the salvage market.
The Silver Spring Township Police Department is investigating the thefts, and it says they have some leads. Silver Spring Superintendent, Richard Hammon, says they don't think it's part of a national theft ring. "There are some pretty big rings that do this around the country. It doesn't appear we're involved in one of these. We're hoping it's local people."
The catalytic converter sits underneath the vehicle. It can range from a foot to 16 inches in length and weighs about ten pounds. Prices range from $150 up to $2,000, and some salvage yards will buy them for $600 because of the precious metal they contain.
Jerry Leahy, the owner of Leahy Auto Body says it doesn't take long for these kinds of thefts to happen. "To steal a converter you could use a portable saw-saul which is a reciprocating saw underneath the car. I could saw a converter off in less than 60 seconds."
Hammon says the converters were taken from larger trucks, so it wouldn't take very long. "Two of them were cut off and the rest of them were unbolted. We were dealing with larger pickup trucks, all diesels. As high as they sit, a smaller person could sit there and take them off."
According to reports, the damage to each vehicle averaged $54,000 dollars. This is a crime they would like to solve soon.
If you have any information, get in contact with the Silver Spring Township Police Department.
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Catalytic converters were stolen out of 15 new diesel trucks at Cumberland Valley Motors Dodge over the weekend.
The converter theft, and the additional cost of repairs, will put the dealership out over $81,500.
The theft occurred between Saturday at 5 p.m. and Monday at 7 a.m. at the Cumberland Valley Dodge in Silver Spring Township
Anyone who witnessed this incident is asked to call Silver Spring Township Police at 717-697-0607.
