The theft of a catalytic converter led to the arrest of two men who were found hiding in a field on Tuesday. Lancaster County Sheriff’s Captain Tom Brookhouser says it all started around 2:00 p.m. when a man was seen walking near 56th and A Streets with a catalytic converter in one hand and a saw in the other.
Brookhouser says 35-year-old Daniel Vanwey was confronted by a witness before he threw the saw and converter into his Honda Pilot and sped away. He hit a trash can and rolled the SUV into a ditch. He says Vanwey and another man got out of the car and ran into a field. A perimeter was set up and K-9’s and the NSP helicopter were deployed.
About an hour later Brookhouser says deputies found the two men hiding under a tractor in a field near SW 47th and West A Streets. Deputies said they found a pipe with methamphetamine in Vanwey’s pockets. Vanwey was booked for trespassing, obstructing a peace officer, leaving the scene of an injury accident, possession of a controlled substance, theft and reckless driving.
The 40 year old man who also ran was cited for misdemeanor charges.