GILROY—Gilroy police are investigating a rash of catalytic converter thefts—13 in the past week.
Toyota and Dodge pickups and SUVs have been targeted because it’s easier to remove the precious metal-containing component from vehicles that are higher off the ground, said Gilroy Police Department Sgt. Royce Heath.
Eleven were reported stolen on April 13, most from Toyota Sequoia SUVs parked in private driveways, police reports show.
But one also was stripped from a Toyota Tundra April 19 in the Walmart parking lot on Camino Arroyo, and another that day from a Buick Encore outside Saint Louise Regional Hospital.
The devices convert exhaust fumes through a chemical process. They can be removed from a vehicle’s undercarriage in a matter of minutes, Heath said.
Thieves typically sell converters to recycling centers where they fetch $50 to $400, while new devices can cost as much as $4,000, according to police.
“Precious metals are used in the conversion process and that’s what makes them a prime target,” Heath said, adding certain makes or models may have greater concentrations of precious metals.
A white Chrysler Sebring was seen on surveillance camera footage Sunday and investigators believe the male driver may be the thief. Investigators are analyzing the crimes to determine if one person is responsible, Heath said.
Gilroy police ask anyone who sees the mid-2000s Sebring to write down its license plate number and call (408) 846-0350 and ask for Officer Diana Mora.
Catalytic converters can be removed in as few as three minutes with a wrench and a saw, according to police. Anything that slows down a thief helps, whether it’s installing a theft-deterrent device or parking where the undercarriage is not easily accessible, Heath added.
Having a vehicle’s license plate number etched with a laser onto the catalytic converter can also serve as a deterrent, police said.
“If something comes in (to a recycling center) that’s etched with a license plate number, that will certainly help us. And if they scratch that out or take measures to remove it, that should raise red flags for the recycling center employees,” the police sergeant said.
“Please keep an eye out for and report suspicious circumstances and people loitering around vehicles,” reads a post on the department’s Facebook page.
Heath suggests drivers—particularly of Toyota and Dodge pickups and SUVs—park their vehicles in well-lit, well-populated areas whenever possible.
Converter thefts have not shown up in unincorporated areas outside city limits patrolled by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office as of early this week, according to Sgt. James Jensen. No incidents had been reported over the past week or so, he said.
• Etch the license plate number on the catalytic converter
• Install a theft-deterrent device on the part
• Park in well-lit, well-populated areas
• Avoid parking in far ends of parking lots
• Install surveillance cameras at home
Source: Gilroy Police Department Sgt. Royce Heath
