LAMPASAS (June 9, 2009)—A Lampasas County sheriff’s deputy who pulled over a suspicious vehicle that had stolen license plates thwarted an ATM burglary in Kempner and arrested three Central Texas men who may be linked to a month-long theft and burglary spree.

Arrest warrants stemming from the two-city crime spree were issued Friday.

Deputy Jerome Ervin pulled over the Pontiac G-6 in which the three men were riding on May 23 on Highway 190 in Kempner.

Ervin discovered the car displayed stolen license plates and arrested the three.

A search of the car turned up hand and power tools, a power inverter, dark clothing, facemasks, a tarp and a semiautomatic handgun.

Authorities later determined the three were about to burglarize an ATM in Kempner when Ervin pulled over the car.

It was after Ervin contacted the Killeen Police Department about the stolen license plate that other pieces of the puzzle began to come together.

The license plate turned out to have been stolen during the burglary of a Discount Tire store in Killeen on May 19.

Further investigation determined the three men were linked to a string of burglaries and thefts in Killeen and Harker Heights.

The first occurred on May 6 at Freytag Irrigation, where two vehicles were damaged and a third was stolen.

Three days later, on May 9, an ATM was burglarized at Club Hypnotic in the 1000 block of Stan Schlueter Loop in Killeen.

Officers discovered a 2000 Freightliner truck that had been stolen from the area of Stan Schlueter and Highway 195.

The burglars evidently used it to block the view as they broke into the ATM, Killeen police said.

Then on May 19, Killeen police officers responded to an attempted burglary at Freedom Furniture located 202 E. VMB, a burglary at the Hobby Center of Killeen at 4104 E. Stan Schlueter Loop, a burglary at All Computer Office Supplies at 2501 S.W.S. Young Dr., a burglary of the Sears store at 2100 S.W.S. Young Dr. and the burglary of a vehicle, which was parked at the Discount Tire Store located at 3101 E. CTE.

Killeen detectives also contacted Harker Heights police and investigators from the two departments used surveillance video to link the burglaries in Killeen to store and ATM burglaries in Harker Heights.

On Friday, Blake Tennimon, 22, a Fort Hood soldier, was charged with theft over $20,000 and burglary of a business; Jesse Flint, 27, was charged with theft over $20,000, and Quentin Render, 31, was charged with burglary of a business.

Arrest warrants were issued and Tennimon was arrested in Comanche County where he remained jailed Tuesday.

Render and Flint remained at large Tuesday evening.