UPDATE: Rise in Car Battery Thefts Prompts Investigation in Anne Arundel

UPDATE 5 p.m. June 19: Anne Arundel County Police announced no charges have been filed against one of the men apparently connected to a string of vehicle battery thefts.

Police initially reported Ted Swauger, of Severn, was charged in the thefts, but they have since corrected their statement, saying he inolved in an incident on June 14, where he was charged with obstructing and hindering an investigation, possession of drug paraphernalia and attempting to elude a police officer.

Swauger remains a "person of interest" in the battery theft investigation, police said in a press release.

A corrected version of the original story is below.
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Anne Arundel County police arrested two men 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.

Mulcahy said commercial vehicle batteries were targeted at truck sites, and sold at scrap yards around the region.

On Friday, detectives carrying out surveillance located Terry Lee Speece, 46, of Brooklyn, who police say scrapped more than 8,100 pounds of batteries throughout the region.

Police charged Speece men with multiple battery thefts, according to Mulcahy.

"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.

AACOPD 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.