Thieves cut pricey catalytic converters from cars at Chesterfield dealers again
Chesterfield County police are investigating the thefts of 34 catalytic converters that were cut from new vehicles at two Chester car dealerships. The loss was estimated at $80,000.
The converters were taken sometime between 9 p.m. Oct. 17 and 9 a.m. Monday from Colonial Honda at 2100 Walthall Center Drive and Priority Honda at 2000 Walthall Center Drive. The vehicles hit included new Honda Pilots, Honda Elements, Honda Ridgelines, Toyota Tundras and RAV4s.
The same two dealerships were targeted in September 2008 when thieves removed 42 converters from 21 Toyota Tundra trucks and six from Honda Pilots. The thieves used battery-powered reciprocating saws to cut them from the vehicles. That loss was placed at $90,000.
The converters are valued for their precious metals, including platinum, which is lucrative on the black market. The price of platinum closed yesterday at $1,360 an ounce.
Depending on the make and model of the vehicle, converters can fetch anywhere from $50 to $350 from salvage yards and recycling centers. The emission control devices contain between 3 and 7 grams of the metal.
-- Mark Bowes
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Reader Reactions
Sounds fishy. Same two dealerships?
The problem is nothing is done to the theives when they are caught. They cut one off my truck when I was working at Lowes at noontime. The person was caught and we went to court. They did nothing to him. I was supposed to get restitution but have never seen a penny. Oh by the way I drive a 1990 nissan pickup and the theif was driving a Cadillac Escalade. So much for working hard and staying out of trouble.
One would think that for $170,000 over two years, a security guard would be a worthy investment. Hard to believe this happens right next to the interstate with no one seeing.
I guess we should just make catalytic converters illegal. That would solve the problem… :)
Sounds like they should get a little security.
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