2 Charged in Rodgers Forge Vehicle Thefts

Two North Baltimore men were arrested after allegedly stealing property from vehicles in the Rodgers Forge community.

Brian Becker, 21, and John Fortin, 19, face multiple counts of theft-related charges, Baltimore County police said.

Officers responded to the area of Stanmore Road and Stevensone Lane at 5:23 a.m. Saturday after a witness reported seeing two men checking door handles on vehicles, wrote Cathleen Batton, a police spokeswoman, in an email. The thieves had fled on foot by the time police arrived.

Batton wrote that officers set up a perimeter and requested K9 units. She said Becker, of the 1500 block of West 36th Street, was arrested in the 100 block of Stevenson Lane and was found in possession of GPS devices, loose change, a debit card and a credit card taken from targeted vehicles.

Fortin, of the 3600 block of Keswick Avenue, was arrested minutes later at the rear of the home next door to the one Becker was located at, according to police. He was also allegedly in possession of stolen property—GPS devices and iPods.

Batton said the two were tied to nine vehicle thefts in the 200 block of South Tyrone Road, and three additional thefts in Baltimore City.

Becker is being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center on $3,000 bail and Fortin was released after posting $1,500 bail, police said.

Police are looking to locate the owners of recovered property, and the investigation is ongoing.