Have You Seen This Man? He’s Stealing Catalytic Converters in Kent County

Unfortunately, catalytic converters are a hot commodity today. Of course they are on all our cars to control emissions, and that's a good thing. Bad thing is, thieves want them to turn into cash, and they seem to be stealing them in record number.

Like the guy above, or instance. Security cameras can be a very good thing, especially when catching a crime in progress, and this guy was caught red-handed, so to speak, stealing one. Well, at least he was caught on camera. Now State police are looking for him since they say he cut off and stole a catalytic converter from a vehicle.

Here in Kent County, it's just as bad.

KENT COUNTY CONVERTER THEFTS

Fox 17 reported troopers say the man they are looking for also took scrap metal from a dumpster behind Beaudoin Electric on Pipestone Road which is southeast of Benton Harbor. And, click-click, the surveillance camera captured him in the act.

State Police say he was last seen wearing a hood with a possible goatee.

CATALYTIC CONVERTER

So, why are catalytic converters so popular to thieves? In tracking it down I found the website NAPA Know How to explain it. Here is what they said:

"There are a couple of reasons why people steal catalytic converters. For one, it contains valuable metals. A catalytic converter uses metals such as rhodium, platinum and palladium to neutralize toxic gases, and those metals are rare and valuable. Rhodium, for example, sells for thousands of dollars per ounce. For this reason, thieves often steal catalytic converters to extract and sell the precious metals they contain.

 

A thief might also target this part for its as-is resale value. Catalytic converters can be expensive to replace when they’re broken, with some selling for more than a thousand dollars."

If you recognize the man or have any information, you’re asked to call the Michigan State Police Niles post at 269-683-4411.