Hatfield Police.
A Philadelphia man awaits a preliminary hearing next week before Magisterial District Judge Andrea Duffy on accusations that he rented a Budget truck in May 2023, drove it to a Hatfield Township business, loaded it up with more than $2,300 worth of scrap metal, and then left his phone behind, which police used to link him to the crime.
Hatfield Police charged Terrance N. Vorn, 40, of the 400 block of West Ruscomb Street, with felony counts of theft by unlawful taking, theft of secondary metals and receiving stolen property, per court documents. A warrant was issued May 1, 2024 and Vorn was arrested Oct. 9, police said.
Vorn is free on $10,000 unsecured bail, per court documents.
On Sept. 11, 2023, at 1:59 p.m., Hatfield Police responded to Carney All Seasons at 900 Old Bethlehem Pike for a report of a theft of scrap materials, per an affidavit of probable cause.
Police said a Budget box truck arrived at the business on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 at 6:15 p.m., and the driver remained on site for 15 minutes before leaving. Police found surveillance of the truck around Hartman Road and Bethlehem Pike before and after the truck arrived on the property, police allege.
Authorities traced the license plate of the Budget truck to the rental company, which showed an agreement from Vorn, who rented the truck from Aug. 9, 2023 to Sept. 20, 2023, police said.
On Sept. 11, 2023, at 3:10 a.m., the Budget truck returned to the business, police allege, and Vorn and another subject began loading the rear of the truck with scrap metal and materials stored in the rear of the business, all in all stealing $2,341.33 in metals, per the complaint.
On Sept. 11, at 8 a.m., a black cell phone was found near the scrap metal and materials where Vorn allegedly committed the theft. The phone received two calls and an employee answered, and a male caller said he was looking for the phone, police said. When the employee questioned how the phone got there, the caller became defensive, police said.
A search warrant for the call detail records of the phone revealed the call came from Vorn’s T-Mobile phone, police said. Cellular tower data allegedly put Vorn within 3.1 miles of the theft, per the complaint.
Police said a Google search warrant revealed that there was a Google device linked to a Google account at the scene of the crime during the timeframe. The account, police said, belonged to Vorn and an email listed for Vorn’s account was linked to Navarro Tire Recycling.
The contact information for Navarro Tire Recycling was the same number as Vorn’s cell phone, police allege, and the address for the business matched Vorn’s address on his license. Police said two of three Google Reviews for Navarro Tire Recycling mention Vorn by name and mention being scammed by him.
Vorn, police said, was arrested for a similar metals theft by Upper Moreland Township Police on Oct. 22, 2023.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at 11:15 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Andrea Duffy.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
