26 catalytic converters stolen from vehicles this year

LPD is warning used car businesses and repair shops to be wary of criminals stealing catalytic converters.

Businesses along Cornhusker Highway are a big target. Since the start of this year, 26 catalytic converters have been stolen. Last year at this time, the number stood at six. George’s Auto Sales is one of the businesses that was hit.

“You know, sometimes i cannot afford to pay 700, 800 dollars to fix the car. And it stays and then after a while the value comes down. It’s just frustrating,” owner George Kholousi said. 

Lincoln Police caught his thief red–handed. In the process, they pulled the thief from under the vehicle and later found other stolen converters in the suspect’s possession. 

For Kholousi, the converter that the suspect was in the process of taking had to be kept as evidence for LPD. Kholousi expressed frustration that the process of getting his property back from the prosecutor’s office is almost nearly impossible. 

“The stolen property was in his car and they pull him from under the car. [That’s all the evidence they need.] So that should be a bigger story in town that the punishment is going to be there and we’re not gonna tolerate it.”

These parts cost the dealerships and mechanics approximately $800 to replace. Any converters all have to be brand new, never used.

When thieves cut the catalytic converters from the cars, they strip the outer plates off down to the platinum and then sell the platinum for something around 60 dollars a piece.

A separate incident made Kholousi understand how quick this sort of theft can happen overnight. Top notch security and protection for these car lots would cost these dealerships more money than what it’s worth. 

“It was a Toyota Sequoia that by the next day that when I come try to start it and try to fix it, the catalytic converter was gone.”

Kholousi’s neighboring mechanic even had to spend $1,000 to replace one that was stolen from a customer’s vehicle in his garage.