UPDATE: Man Charged After Investigation into Battery Thefts

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to reflect new information from Anne Arundel County police. 


Anne Arundel County police arrested a Glen Burnie man last week in connection with an ongoing investigation into a rise in battery thefts from vehicles, according to a department press release.

A "marked increase" in the number of vehicle battery thefts over the past several months prompted the investigation, according to police spokesman Justin Mulcahy.

Terry Lee Speece, 46, of Brooklyn, has been charged in the case. 

A Severn man, Ted Swauger, is a person of interest in the case. However, he has not been charged.

Police said Speece targeted commercial vehicles at truck sites, and sold moire than 8,000 pounds worth of vehicle batteries at scrap yards around the region.

"Detectives continue to aggressively investigate battery thefts and urge citizens, especially commercial trucking companies, to take some safety steps to reduce their chances of becoming a victim," Mulcahy said in the press release.

Police offered these tips for citizens and businesses to protect their property:

• Establish sufficient lighting in areas where trucks and commercial equipment are stored
• Uniquely and discreetly mark batteries so they may be conclusively identified by investigators should they become stolen
• Provide officers with images or details of these markings in any theft report
• Report suspicious vehicles immediately to police and obtain a detailed description
• Surveillance cameras, appropriately positioned, are an invaluable tool in protecting property and assets

Anyone with information may contact Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7LOCKUP or text “MCS" plus your message to CRIMES (274637). Phone calls are not recorded and callers remain anonymous.

See also: 

• Police Warn of Truck Battery Thefts
• Police Charge Man in Theft of Truck Batteries