Police said Lockridge Alliance man accused of stealing catalytic converters
By Lori Monsewicz
CantonRep.com staff writer
Posted Jul 07, 2009 @ 10:31 AM
Police arrested an Alliance man, accusing him of selling nearly a dozen stolen catalytic converters.
A year-long investigation resulted in the arrest of Jonathan E. Lockridge, 29, of 2038 Watson Ave., who is accused of stealing catalytic converters from cars in four counties.
Lockridge was arrested at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Union Avenue and Beech Street by officers with the police department’s Special Investigations Unit and its newly formed “Warrant Bureau,” according to a news release from the department. Lockridge was charged with receiving stolen property and criminal tools possession.
Detective Bob Rajcan had been stealing six to 10 converters from cars at night in four counties and selling them for scrap at $50 to $100 apiece. The counties include Stark, Mahoning, Columbiana and Portage. The release said Lockridge had rented tools from auto parts stores in Salem and Canton enabling him to cut the converters from the cars.
Rajcan stopped Lockridge in the 3000 block of S. Union Avenue. There, Officers Tony Boyle, Anthony Palozzi and Timothy Heavlin arrested Lockridge on a Columbiana County warrant charging Lockridge in with failure to appear in court.
The news release said police believes most of the 10 converters they found in his car had been stolen from Goshen Township near Andrews Honda on State Route 62.
Lockridge told police he was stealing to support a drug addiction, the news release said.
He was released from jail on his own recognizance later Monday. He is scheduled to appear in Alliance Municipal Court at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Capt. Doug Neeb said the warrant bureau is comprised of patrol shift officers who serve backlogged warrants.
“We have a lot of warrants that come down from the courts, anything from fresh charges to somebody who hasn’t paid their fines and costs so there’s a bench warrant issued for their arrest,” Neeb said.
Law Enforcement – Call Mark-N-Gard at 1-888-288-6382 for more information on our current efforts to combat this crime.