It appears that the thieves of precious car catalysts are coming to an end, as Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies – particularly from the Walnut and City of Industry area – began to engrave the license plate of the vehicle on the aforementioned pieces.
“It is a great task that will allow us to catch the thieves and help the victims,” said Rick Rector, captain of the Industry Station of the Sheriff’s Department. “This is a great service to the community.”
Indeed, if a thief dismantles the part where the catalyst is in a car and wants to sell it at a recycling center, will be reported to the authorities.
The serial number of the license plate etched into the metal will be the key to catching the thieves.
A catalyst is used to control and reduce the gases that are harmful to health and the environment that come out of the exhaust pipe.
“In California, all cars must have a catalytic converter to control toxic emissions and reduce pollution,” said agent Juan Segura. “That’s the law.”
A national problem that impacts LA
According to a report by BeenVerified and the National Insurance Crime Bureau, it is estimated that in the United States there were , 969 catalyst thefts, an increase in 80% of the 14, 433 reported in 2020. In comparison, only 3 were reported, 375 robberies in 2019.
Toyota, Honda and Lexus cars are the main targets. Most popular vehicles by make and model targeted by auto catalyst thieves in were: Toyota Prius, Honda Element, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Tacoma and Honda Accord.
The projections of Been Verified —whose mission is to provide people easy and affordable access to public record information — predict that California, Texas, and Washington are the top states for converter theft.
They add that if current trends continue, the main states projected for theft this year are: California (with almost 8.0 31 robberies), Texas (2, 832), Washington (1, 752), Minnesota (1, 375) and Colorado (896).
Sheriff’s Department (LASD) , reported that between 2919 and 2020 in Los Angeles County there was an increase in car catalyst thefts from 400%; The city of Torrance represents the area where the highest amount of robberies have been committed with %.
“This type of robbery happens anywhere,” said agent Juan Segura. “At the Industry Station it has happened more frequently in Hacienda Heights.”
What makes this car part so valuable?
Like all mechanical components in an engine, catalytic converters are coated with a metal anti-thermal screen that prevents heat from damaging the vehicle.
This screen houses a ceramic matrix in the shape of a honeycomb, of almost 70 cells per square centimeter, and is impregnated with a resin containing some noble metallic elements, such as palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt) and rhodium (Rh). This makes catalysts very expensive.
“Usually, replacing a catalyst costs between $ 1, and up to $ 3, 000 ”, said Jeffrey De la Torre. “The good thing is that mine has already been recorded in case it is stolen.”
Joe Nanquil, LASD agent at the Industry Station, he told Real America News that thieves take less than three minutes to steal a catalytic converter. To remove the part they use a saw or a wrench.
“They almost always work as a team; They are groups of two or three men and they use a woman as a driver, so as not to arouse suspicion, “explained Nanquil.
” They generally work at night. One gets out of the car, another picks it up and the third is the one who commits the theft. ”
He added that the platinum there is in catalytic converters it is a metal as precious as gold.
“An ounce can have a price higher than $ 1, 300 ”, He underlined. “Thieves sell them for $ 100 or $ 150 ”.
One troy ounce (pure) of gold (31. 14 grams) can be worth $ 1, 800, according to golprice.org
Agent Nanquil reported that an individual who has been arrested for the first time stealing catalysts could face a charge misdemeanor, but “charges are generally dropped, probation and restitution paid to victims.”
A second offense could be considered grand theft and the repeat offender would face felony or felony charges. “Usually a person would spend six months in a county jail and must return the payment to the robbery victims.
“If there is a third time, it is difficult for you to go to a state prison, but could be jailed between six and months ”, said the agent.
Dismantling network of thieves in Torrance
The morning of 30 June, elements of the Torrance Police Department carried out a search warrant in the city of Los Angeles in the wake of the recent arrests of 20 Suspects involved in car catalyst theft.
Agents from the Special Investigations Division and the Detectives Division were able to identify a location in Los Angeles where the suspects were taking the stolen catalytic converters.
Detectives obtained a search warrant for the location related to these thefts and that operation was carried out with the Torrance Police Department and with the assistance of the Gardena Police Department. Finally, they recovered 87 catalysts in place and arrested the manager of the establishment.
Quieter drivers with protection
This week, LASD agents, José Cruz and Jaime Morán, from the City of Industry Station worked in oppressive heat to etch the license plates of dozens of cars on the catalyst of various cars.
“It was a bit difficult when you were under the car; the most complicated thing is the heat ”, said Juan, after having used a manual recorder in the catalyst of the Toyota Tacoma truck by Jeffrey De la Torre, a Hacienda Heights resident.
“I thank the sheriffs for this protection”, said De la Torre, president of the Board of Directors of the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District.
“Where I live, the last week the catalytic converter was stolen from four neighbors; Some had insurance against theft and others did not, but, even if one thinks that there is coverage, in the case of the catalytic converter this is not the case. ”
Record the license plate of each vehicle, in addition , It is a dangerous task for Sheriff’s agents, especially since the drivers have to maneuver with precision and park their cars on a plastic base that works as a hydraulic jack.
During the This week’s event, it was evident that not everyone had the expertise to do it and the cars could have injured the officers, had they been found under the car.
“The public is really happy; we want to help with this national problem, ”said agent Jaime Morán. “I also feel good about doing this service to the community.”
How to protect your vehicle?
- When possible, park your car in lighted areas and near the entrance to a building.
- You can choose to weld the car catalyst to your car chassis, which makes it more difficult to steal.
- Consider etching your car’s license plate onto the catalyst. This would alert the junk dealer that the catalytic converter has been stolen and it is easy to identify the owner.
Calibrate your car alarm to activate as soon as it detects a vibration.
- Invest in an anti-theft device for your catalytic converter.
- Report any theft to 1 – 800 – 222 – TIPS (8477) or write to LACrimeStoppers.org
Have preference to leave the car in the garage.