CATAWBA CO., N.C. -- A Catawba County man took matters into his own hands when he found two men trying to steal from his property.

Sheriff’s deputies said when they arrived at 70-year old Jerry Whitener’s home, he was holding two brothers at gunpoint against a pickup truck.

Deputies said the brothers, Jerry and Jason Leonard, were trying to steal between 500 and 600 pounds of cast iron scrap metal from Whitener’s property, south of Hickory.

When Whitener pulled up to his home, he said he spotted the would-be thieves with two large axles in the back of their truck and tried to stop them. The men nearly ran over him, Whitener said.

Whitener got out his gun, called police and held the men until officers arrived a few minutes later.

“I don't have much time for them,” Whitener said. “I've worked hard. That's nothing but junk but I've worked hard for it and I don't expect anybody to just carry it off.”

Deputies think the men were planning to try to sell the metal to a scrap yard

The Leonards face charges of misdemeanor larceny.

Officers said they found several receipts inside the men’s truck showing they had been paid for other scrap metal.

“[The receipts] indicate that they have been in this activity before, that they have sold metal before to local scrap yards,” said Sgt. Aaron Turk, from the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office.

Turk said deputies will check with local scrap yards to see if the men are connected to any reported thefts.