Theft

Mercersburg police are looking to the public to obtain information about a recent theft from a local machine and equipment company. Sometime between Friday, Dec. 21 and Saturday, Dec. 22, two men entered D.L. Martin Inc., at 25 D.L. Martin Drive, and stole a barrel of carbide inserts valued at $2,000, police said. Police are describing the thieves as an older male and a younger male, and they were driving a silver crew cab pickup truck with a cap. Anyone with information may contact the Mercersburg Police Department at 717-328-2221, or Franklin County Crime Solvers at 717-264-3000.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office reported the following incidents from 8 a.m. Tuesday to 8 a.m. Wednesday: Vandalism was reported in the 17200 block of Carty Lane. A theft was reported in the 13600 block of Crayton Boulevard.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. -- Police were looking for two men who stole cash and cigarettes from a Rutters convenience store Tuesday in Guilford Township. Two men entered the Rutters at 4030 Lincoln Way East at 3:18 a.m. as an employee was opening the store, Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release. One of the men was armed and the other restrained the clerk as they entered the store and moved toward the safe, police said in the release. The men removed cash from the safe and took several packs of Newport cigarettes before fleeing the store in an unknown direction, police said.

A Greencastle, Pa., man has been charged with stealing almost $5,000 worth of merchandise from a jewelry store at Chambersburg Mall, Pennsylvania State Police said. Jeffrey Lynn Smith, 20, was charged with theft for allegedly stealing $4,747 worth of jewelry from Kay Jewelers, according to a state police news release. Troopers said Smith stole the jewelry from June 1 to July 31 while he was an employee at the store.

Washington County Sheriff's Office investigators are looking for a woman who tried to steal $579 worth of merchandise from the Sears store on Nov. 11. The woman loaded a shopping cart with the merchandise and attempted to leave the store at 17301 Valley Mall Road, according to a news release. The woman fled the area when she was confronted by store employees, the release said. Anyone with information about the theft can contact the sheriff's office at 240-313-2170.

A Hagerstown man has been arrested and charged with several counts of burglary and theft following numerous thefts from vehicles in the north end of Hagerstown last month, a Hagerstown Police Department spokesman said Wednesday night. David Joseph Teays II, 28, 832 Potomac Ave., Apt. 2N, was being held in the county's central booking facility Wednesday night waiting to see Washington District Court Commissioner, a spokesman there said. The Hagerstown Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff's Office joined to investigate numerous burglaries and thefts from vehicles in the north end of the city last month, said Sgt. John Lehman.

The Martinsburg Police Department is investigating a grand larceny that occurred Friday at Kay Jewelers in the Martinsburg Mall.  After being called to the store, officers were told that a black male wearing a hat and glasses entered the business and tried on a gold necklace, according to a news release sent Tuesday. He ran out of the store into J.C. Penney and eventually left the mall in an unknown direction, police said. Police said they believe the man got into a gold car with a Maryland registration.

A Boonsboro woman has been charged with theft in connection with an estimated $137,000 that was withdrawn from a homeowners association's bank accounts, according to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office. Nancy B. Walker, 62, was charged Thursday on a criminal summons with one count of theft scheme over $100,000, one count of theft over $10,000, under $100,000 and 40 counts of theft over $1,000, according to a news release. On Jan. 27, board members from the Ballenger Creek Meadows Home Owner's Association reported that unauthorized withdrawals were made from the organization's bank accounts, the release said.

Pennsylvania State Police said they are investigating the theft of more than $55,000 from a Hamilton Township business' payroll account. The incident was reported Aug. 7, when authorities were told by employees of Alpha Space Control at 1580 Garber Road that someone accessed a computer and stole $56,952 from the payroll account, according to a state police news release. Alpha Space Control is a pavement-marking company, according to the business' website. Anyone with information may call state police at 717-264-5161.

A 42-year-old Hagerstown man was found not guilty Monday in Washington County Circuit Court of two counts of theft. Douglas Craig Tedrick, of 149 N. Potomac St., appeared before Judge John H. McDowell. On April 26, Hagerstown City Police were investigating the theft of a purse from a woman's vehicle on Chestnut Street when she received word from the Maryland State Police that Tedrick was in custody at a convenience store with a credit card belonging to her, police reports said.

The administrator and former chief of The Volunteer Fire Co. of Halfway, Md. Inc., requested a jury trial on theft  and theft scheme charges during an appearance Thursday in District Court. District Judge Ralph H. France II ordered the case of Jeffrey C. Ringer forwarded to Circuit Court. Ringer, 53, of 11221 Hollywood Road in Hagerstown, was charged earlier this year with misusing more than $10,000 in company funds over four years to pay for bar and restaurant bills, and a family member's tuition, according to the application for statement of charges filed by Maryland State Police.

A Hagerstown man was arrested Saturday night after a man was robbed at knifepoint outside The Columbia Bank on Wesel Boulevard, according to city police. Dennis Udo Wagner-Smith, 41, of 314 Daycotah Ave., was charged with armed robbery, robbery, second-degree assault and theft, Hagerstown Police Sgt. John Lehman said in a news release. At about 7:30 p.m., police were dispatched to the bank branch at 1571 Wesel Boulevard for a reported armed robbery. Upon arrival, officers found a man with a laceration to his hand, Lehman said.

Two teenage boys have been charged in connection with an armed robbery Wednesday afternoon behind the Jonathan Hager House in Hagerstown City Park. The 15-year-old teenagers, whose names were not released, were charged with one count each of armed robbery, robbery, second-degree assault, theft and other related charges, according to a Hagerstown Police Department news release. One of the juveniles was picked up at his home Wednesday night, Lt. Tom Langston said. The second juvenile surrendered at Hagerstown police headquarters Thursday morning.

A Hagerstown woman has been charged with stealing $1,775 worth of jewelry from an 86-year-old woman who resides at an assisted-living center, according to a Washington County Sheriff's Office news release. Patricia Lynn Brady, 48, of 849 Mulberry Ave., was charged with three counts of theft less than $1,000, one count of theft between $1,000 and $10,000, one count of theft less than $100, one count of theft scheme $1,000 and two counts of theft less than $1,000, deputies said. Deputies allege Brady took the jewelry while she was an employee at the assisted-living center.

A Frederick, Md., police officer has been charged with using stolen gift cards to purchase merchandise from a store in the Centre at Hagerstown shopping plaza. Charity F. Hoxie, 37, of 221 E. Third St. in Waynesboro, Pa., was charged with theft of less than $1,000, according to the statement of charges obtained Wednesday from Washington County District Court. Hoxie is accused of using five gift cards to pay $125 of a $127.16 purchase from Bed, Bath & Beyond at 17716 Garland Groh Blvd., the statement of probable cause said.

Hagerstown Police Department officials are warning local residents about an emerging trend of batteries being stolen from vehicles. Vehicle batteries have value even when they have lost their charge because they can be sold to recycling centers and scrap yards for their internal components, according to a news release from police. Police started noticing the thefts about a year ago, said Hagerstown Police Chief Mark Holtzman. “It has recently popped up again,” Holtzman said.

A Hagerstown man has been arrested and charged with several counts of burglary and theft following numerous thefts from vehicles in the north end of Hagerstown last month, a Hagerstown Police Department spokesman said Wednesday night. David Joseph Teays II, 28, 832 Potomac Ave., Apt. 2N, was being held in the county's central booking facility Wednesday night waiting to see Washington District Court Commissioner, a spokesman there said. The Hagerstown Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff's Office joined to investigate numerous burglaries and thefts from vehicles in the north end of the city last month, said Sgt. John Lehman.

MERCERSBURG, Pa. - Three people face criminal charges in connection to the theft of a purse and wallet from a woman's pickup truck Jan. 13 in the Borough of Mercersburg. Mercersburg police said the victim's ATM card was used to make three withdrawals totaling $369 after it was stolen. Police said the thieves may have obtained the PIN for the account from a piece of paper in the victim's wallet. The woman parked her truck on the west side of Linden Avenue and later noticed the items missing, police said in a news release.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office is investigating a number of mail thefts that were reported Thursday near the east end of Hagerstown. Deputy 1st Class Carly Hose, sheriff's office spokeswoman, said deputies were called at about 5 p.m. for reports of mail being stolen on Security Road, Jefferson Boulevard and numerous side streets in that area. She said deputies searched the area and continued to find discarded mail on the streets until 7 p.m. Deputies believe the person or people who took the mail discarded mail that wasn't of value and kept everything else, Hose said.