Duo Charged In 8 Bel Air Catalytic Converter Thefts: Harford Sheriff

BEL AIR, MD — Two men from Texas were charged in a slew of catalytic converter thefts in Bel Air recently, according to officials.

The out-of-state duo was targeting specific types of cars, “mainly Toyota Priuses manufactured between 2004 and 2009, because they are larger, contain more copper and precious metals, and are more valuable to scrap,” investigators said.

Bernard Lamont Lane IV, 20, of Rosenburg, Texas, and Donovan Lee Harris, 19, of Missouri City, Texas, were charged with multiple counts of theft from $100 to under $1,500; fourth-degree burglary; rogue and vagabond; and malicious destruction of property.

Lane was released after posting $30,000 bond, while Harris is being held without bail at the Harford County Detention Center, officials said Thursday.

They were arrested after deputies conducting routine traffic enforcement in Fallston saw a Chevrolet Malibu going 20 mph over the speed limit in the 2200 block of Carrs Mill Road, according to authorities.

Deputies saw several items associated with a catalytic converter theft that had been reported at 10:15 p.m. in the 900 block of Redfield Road in Bel Air, which is about 6 miles away. In that case, deputies were told that two people suspected of cutting catalytic converters from vehicles in the area took off from the area in a Chevrolet Malibu.

The suspects also matched descriptions from an earlier catalytic converter theft, officials said, so the deputies took both into custody and conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle, during which they found eight catalytic converters that had been stolen from these locations:

• 900 block Redfield Road (2003 Honda Element)
• 900 block Fitzpatrick Drive (2005 Toyota Prius)
• 100 block West Ring Factory Road (2007 Toyota Prius)
• 1600 block Martha Court (2009 Toyota Prius)
• 1300 block Scottsdale Drive (2011 Honda Element)
• 1100 block Royston Place (2007 Toyota Prius)
• 800 block Tilghman Road (2007 Toyota Prius)
• One incident is being investigated by an allied agency, according to the Harford County Sheriff's Office.

Each recovered catalytic converter was matched with its vehicle and returned to the owner, officials said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Criminal Investigations Division at 410-836-5442.