Catalytic Converter Thief Nabbed in Calhoun County
A catalytic converter thief has been nabbed, due to an observant Calhoun County Sheriff’s deputy.
The deputy observed a suspicious vehicle at 2:20 AM early Sunday morning, at the Park-N-Ride on C Drive North, near Albion. As he continued to monitor the vehicle he observed the suspect get under the vehicle. The deputy approached and caught the suspect in the act of cutting off the catalytic converter from the vehicle.
The suspect, a 43-year-old man from Big Rapids, confessed to attempting to steal the converter. It’s believed that he has been working the I-94 and I-69 corridor.
Michigan State Police had warned the public, in a recent press release, of a rise in local catalytic converter thefts in recent months. A converter was cut from a vehicle in the 17000-block of 26 Mile Road during the night-time of February 10th. Several vehicles were targeted at the Park-N-Ride located at Michigan Avenue and I-69 on April 30th in broad daylight.
Catalytic converters are a targeted item, for thieves, due to the content of three valuable metals. Inside the converters dwell platinum, rhodium, and palladium. According to an article on the Allstate Car Insurance website, catalytic converters can fetch up to $200 at a scrap yard and are easy to remove. “All you need is a saw or wrench, depending on whether the converter is welded or bolted in,” according to Edmunds, “and removal can take as little as one minute.”
Even though a converter thief was apprehended Sunday, the threat still remains. The population of current thieves has only been reduced by one.
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