BRADLEY COUNTY, Ga – Law enforcement apprehended two suspected thieves that were walking along Interstate 75 following a catalytic converter theft on Frontage Road.
On May 9 of 2021, Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers stopped Thomas Barnhill and Travis Howard. The pair were walking along I-75 near mile marker 27. Upon stopping the two pedestrians, troopers discovered Barnhill and Howard were carrying cutting tools and a recently cut catalytic converter.
Cleveland Police Department officers and Bradley County Sheriff Office (BCSO) patrol deputies responded to assist the troopers, along with investigators from THP and BCSO. The collaborative investigation discovered that the suspects were coming from a business on Frontage Road where they allegedly cut the catalytic converter from a vehicle. Additionally, the investigators determined that the same suspects had burglarized a building at the same business in April.
Barnhill and Howard were booked into the Bradley County Jail and both charged with Burglary, two counts of Felony Vandalism, and three counts of Theft under $1,000. Barnhill was also charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.