Tired of being robbed, the owner of a Clear Spring, MD, repair shop conducted his own overnight stakeout and caught two thieves. According to the shop owner, he has had more than 25 catalytic converters and other items stolen during the past few years.

Below is the article as it appeared The Herald-Mail website.

Two in custody after Clear Spring business owner foils break-in try

By DON AINES
May 25, 2010

CLEAR SPRING — The owner of a service station said his aim wasn’t to hurt two men when he fired a shot during a break-in early Tuesday.

“I didn’t intend to hit anybody,” Emil Ivanescu, the owner of Clear Spring D&I Automotive at 13102 Clear Spring Road said Tuesday afternoon.

The shot was meant to scare the men, he said.

“I did what I did because I was afraid,” Ivanescu said.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Department charged Robert Lee Dunkin III, 25, of 1441 White Oak Ridge in Hancock, and Timothy Jesse Farmer, 30, of 510 N. Mulberry St. in Hagerstown, in the break-in, Detective Casey Barnes said.

Each was charged with one count of second-degree burglary, one count of fourth-degree burglary, one count of fourth-degree burglary involving possession of burglar tools, one count of theft of less than $1,000, and one count of malicious destruction of property, Barnes said.

A power saw was used to break into a storage shed at the business, and Farmer and Dunkin allegedly were pulling out electrical and copper wire when they were confronted by Ivanescu, Barnes said.

Ivanescu was waiting in a vehicle in the parking lot of his business when the attempt to break in occurred at 1:46 a.m., Lt. Mark Knight said. Neither Farmer nor Dunkin was hit when Ivanescu fired the shot, Knight said.

Ivanescu confirmed he was waiting in a vehicle and that the business he has owned for eight years has been the frequent target of thieves.

“They break in for the catalytic converters,” Ivanescu said of past thefts. More than 25 of the converters have been stolen in the past few years, he said. On one occasion, Ivanescu found 18 converters missing, he said.

In November 2009, the fence at the business was cut and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle was stolen. A surveillance camera proved of little use, he said, as whoever stole the Harley aimed the camera away from the business entrance before taking the motorcycle.

Ivanescu said he has reported numerous other thefts to authorities over the years.

After Ivanescu fired the shot Tuesday, one of the men fled in a vehicle and another ran, he said. Before they fled, one of the men came toward him and grabbed his .22-caliber rifle, Ivanescu said.

“I pulled it from him and hit him with the gun. It broke the gun,” Ivanescu said.

Sheriff’s deputies found Dunkin riding a bicycle on U.S. 40 near the Delmar Inn, Barnes said. Farmer was taken into custody at his home, Barnes said. Knight said earlier Tuesday that one of the men had been taken into custody by Hagerstown Police.

Both men were being held Tuesday night at the Washington County Detention Center, an officer there said.

Barnes said no determination has been made as to whether Ivanescu might face any charges for his actions.

“We are waiting to hear from the State’s Attorney’s Office to see if we’re going to charge him,” Barnes said.

“Whatever will be will be,” Ivanescu said.

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