Three suspects in custody for catalytic converter theft
Arrest Reports, Featured News, Featured Stories, Police & Government July 9, 2022
MARYVILLE, TN – Three arrests were made for catalytic converter theft. Eyewitness claims that suspicion was raised when red sedan was parked at church on Calderwood Drive in Blount County. Dispatchers were called to the scene after midnight on June 8th, 2022.
Police Report
According to the police report, officers were dispatched to a church parking lot located on Calderwood Highway due to a suspicious red sedan. Upon arrival the red sedan was spotted and nearby a man and woman stood next to a van. A third suspect was under the vehicle. After questioned, one suspect admitted to attempting theft of catalytic converter under van. The man under vehicle attempted to flee the scene as well. Once other officers arrived the three suspects were taken into custody. The tools of burglary were located and taken.
The three suspects are John William Hinkle of Knoxville, Jonathan Hans Wellman of Knoxville, and Hannah Marie Handmacher of Speedwell TN. All charged with theft of motor vehicle and possession of burglary tools.
The hearing in court is July 11th, 2022.
The PIO Officer made a brief statement with FYN News,” The theft of converters has gone down in the last two years and the law implemented in 2021 has helped us keep these types of arrests at bay. We want locals to be aware of thefts regardless and we caught this group red handed. The police report on our Facebook Page [linked above] encourages the proper precautions as well.”
Eyewitness Report
According to the witness report, there were concerns of theft the night before by the same suspects. The suspicion was raised when the car stayed overnight once, and the suspects were attempting theft. The witness has been a staff member of the church and decided to stay the next night to keep an eye out. Police were called to the scene immediately upon witness of theft.
Catalytic Converter Laws
Furthermore, the catalytic converter goes on two parts of the vehicle and filters the exhaust system. The part contains many different expensive metals such as platinum.
In Tennessee, it is illegal to sell single catalytic converter parts for money. It registers as a Class A misdemeanor.
In line manner, FYN News has reached out to the Public Information Officer in Blount County for statement above. The Outreach Church has yet to respond.
Two juveniles arrested in connection with vehicle burglaries
News, Press Release October 16, 2021
MARYVILLE, TENNESSEE – Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong announced two juveniles were arrested Wednesday in connection with at least eight vehicle burglaries that occurred in the Eagleton area between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.
The two male juveniles, ages 16 and 17, were charged with delinquent by theft of property by possession. In addition, the 17-year-old, who is from Maryville, faces several charges for violating his probation in Blount County. He remains in custody in the Blount County Juvenile Detention Facility. The 16-year-old, who was reported as a runaway from Knoxville, is currently in DCS custody. Both juveniles will face their charges in Blount County
Juvenile Court in the near future.
Wednesday morning, the Sheriff’s Office received multiple reports of vehicle burglaries that occurred in the Eagleton area at residences on Cecelia Avenue, Blount Avenue, Milford Avenue, Main Road, Defoe Circle, and Old Knoxville Pike. As they day progressed, other citizens in that area reported additional burglaries from their automobiles.
Shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to a residence on Old Knoxville Pike to the report of a runaway juvenile from Knoxville who may be staying at the home. They also received information that the juvenile may be armed with a handgun. When deputies arrived, deputies saw a teenage male run from a back door. Deputies shouted commands for him to stop, but the juvenile continued to flee on foot. Deputies set up a perimeter in the area and took the juvenile into custody a short time later. As the investigation unfolded, Sheriff’s patrol deputies and investigators found multiple stolen items inside the residence where the runaway juvenile was staying. The 16-year-old Knoxville juvenile and a 17-year-old male who resides at that residence were both taken into custody Wednesday evening.
Sheriff’s investigators recovered stolen property including purses, wallets, ID cards, a handgun, cash, credit and debit cards, and other miscellaneous items. Investigators are attempting to return all of the recovered property.
The investigation is ongoing and additional charges could be forthcoming.
Sheriff Berrong reminds citizens to please lock your vehicles. All of the reported vehicle burglaries were from unlocked vehicles.
Three adults, three juveniles charged in vehicle vandalisms
News, Press Release August 30, 2021
MARYVILLE, TENNESSEE – Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong announced six individuals were taken into custody early Saturday morning in connection with a string of vehicle vandalisms that occurred over the last several days in Blount County and Alcoa.
The three adults charged are as follows:
• Maxwell Alexander Cook, 18, Mason Court, Maryville, was charged with one count of vandalism over $500 and nine counts of vandalism.
• Jacob Aspen Storm Perkins, 18, Russell Road, Rockford, was charged with one count of vandalism over $500 and 13 counts of vandalism.
• Mallory Jade Taylor, 18, Russell Road, Rockford, was charged with one count of vandalism over $500 and 10 counts of vandalism.
All three individuals are being held in the Blount County Correctional Facility on bonds totaling $250,000 each pending hearings in Blount County General Sessions Court at 9 a.m. September 3.
In addition, three 17-year-old males were each charged with multiple counts of vandalism by a delinquent. The three juveniles were taken to the Blount County Juvenile Facility pending hearings in Blount County Juvenile Court within 72 hours.
Last week, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office and the Alcoa Police Department began receiving reports from citizens of vehicles being vandalized and vehicle windows broken out with rocks and BB guns. Deputies took most of the reports in the areas of Russell Road/Old Knoxville Highway/Pellissippi as well as Mentor and Johnston Roads. Early Saturday morning, a Blount County deputy was patrolling the area of Russell Road in Rockford when he observed a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle suspected in the vandalisms. The deputy turned around and attempted to make contact with the vehicle when the driver began to make a series of maneuvers and turned down Bullen Emert Road, a dead-end road.
The deputy made a traffic stop on the vehicle and encountered four individuals inside the vehicle including Cook, Perkins, Taylor, and one of the juveniles. Through the course of this investigation, deputies learned of the involvement of the two other juveniles who they dropped off at a residence on Russell Road earlier that night. Deputies also discovered a CO2-powered BB gun during their investigation.
Deputies and officers with Alcoa Police Department took out a total of 190 warrants on the adults and juveniles, with more than $30,000 in reported damages. Multiple vandalism cases were solved with these arrests.
Three juveniles in stolen vehicle arrested after pursuit
News, Police & Government June 22, 2020
MARYVILLE, TENNESSEE – Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong said three female juveniles were arrested today and are in custody on multiple charges after fleeing from deputies in a stolen vehicle shortly after noon today.
The three juveniles, a 16-year-old and two 14-year-olds, were taken to the Blount County Juvenile Facility where they will be held for 72 hours pending a detention hearing in Blount County Juvenile Court. All three girls are charged with theft of a motor vehicle by delinquent. The two 14-year-old girls are also charged with misdemeanor evading arrest. In addition, the 16-year-old is charged with felony evading arrest, possession of a stolen vehicle, two counts of felony reckless endangerment, possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, and aggravated assault. One 14-year-old is also charged with simple possession of marijuana. All charges are “delinquent by” charges because of their juvenile status.
Shortly after noon today, a deputy spotted a 2009 gold Chevrolet Equinox on Robert C. Jackson Drive that had just been BOLO’d (be on the lookout) as a suspect vehicle in a string of car burglaries at an apartment complex on Middlesettlements Road in Alcoa. A check of the vehicle’s registration came back as reported stolen out of Knox County on Thursday. The deputy initiated a traffic stop on Robert C. Jackson, but the driver continued onto U.S. Highway 321, Morganton Road, Foothills Mall Drive, and then back onto U.S. Highway 321 West. Deputies were able to get the vehicle stopped using a pursuit intervention technique just past the U.S. Highway 129 Bypass on U.S. Highway 321. After stopping the vehicle, the three females fled on foot. The 16-year-old driver was apprehended by a deputy in the parking lot of Maryville Commons on Watkins Road as she was reaching into her waistband where deputies found a handgun. That handgun had been reported stolen out of a vehicle in Alcoa earlier in the day. Deputies and officers with Maryville Police Department caught the two 14-year-olds in the same vicinity within minutes.
The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending.