The Summit County Sheriff’s Department reports that thieves have been busy stealing catalytic converters off vehicles—evidently over this past weekend.
Sheriff’s Lt. Andrew Wright said that on Monday, the 4th, the Sheriff’s office received two separate reports of catalytic converters stolen from the same location—a parking lot for a business plaza located off Pinebrook Road.
One victim, a 35-year-old Salt Lake man, said he leaves his business truck in the lot. He said he realized on Monday that his converter had been stolen, sometime between October 1st and the 4th.
Another complainant, a 61-year-old Bountiful resident who owns a business in the neighborhood, also reported the theft of his converter. He said he has left the truck overnight in the lot for several months and rarely drives it, so it’s hard for him to pinpoint when the theft happened.
Lt. Wright reported there is no video surveillance of either incident.
Finally, a Ford dealership on Rasmussen Road reported converters stolen from seven vehicles on its lot, again between October 1st and the 5th. A set of tires and wheels was also stolen.
Lt. Wright said the cost of one catalytic converter, stolen off a newer Ford pickup, was estimated at $8000. On the other vehicles, the value of the device was reportedly $1500 each.
The lieutenant said officers found some evidence and the business has been added to their property watch.
Lt. Wright said cutting the converter off a vehicle is fairly difficult to do—requiring power tools and torches—and it’s noisy. He said that’s probably why the crimes didn’t happen in a residential area.
He said that converters are hard to replace, due to current problems with supply, and the thefts are becoming a national trend.
