DANVILLE, Va. – For the past month and a half, Danville police have tracked 10 cases of catalytic converter thefts.
Toyota Priuses and Honda vehicles are the main victims.
Police say in less than 3 minutes, thieves are stealing the pieces and then selling them because the metals inside the converters are expensive.
Catalytic converters are designed to fight against harmful emissions from the exhaust system by turning pollutants into harmless gases.
“If they go to start up their car they’re going to notice a loud roaring and the car is going to sputter and not make noise,” said Lt. Richard Chivvis with Danville Police Department. “Not to mention their tailpipe might also be dragging on the ground.”
He recommends drivers invest $200 to $300 to secure the piece under their car with a mechanic rather than pay $5,000 to replace it.