MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Police say a catalytic converter was recently stolen off a man’s vehicle while it was parked in a parking garage downtown on Second Street.
According to MPD crime stats, it appears this has happened to at least five people in the downtown and medical district areas in just the last week.
Pat Williams works for Barton’s Car Care in Midtown. He says thieves with the right tools can steal that converter in a minute or less.
“It’s fairly easy,” Williams said, “Get on their back and crawl up under the car and just take a sawzall and just cut it in front, cut it behind it and take it out.”
He says the catalytic converter is a valuable car part that can be worth hundreds of dollars.
“Depending on how big it is because some trucks have big ones,” Williams said.
Williams says it can cost victims about $300 to $500 to get the converter replaced and their vehicle repaired.
“When your engine’s running it (the converter) kind of traps all the gases so it’s like a filter kind of,” Williams said.
If one is stolen from your car he says you shouldn’t wait too long to get a new one.
“Nothing right off but if you don’t get it fixed it can cause problems,” Williams said.
Williams says thieves tend to target vehicles like trucks and SUV’s because they’re easier to get under.
Police haven’t made any arrests in the aforementioned cases.
