Alameda catalytic converter thief caught on camera

Alameda PD said the Prius is one of the cars most impacted by catalytic

Alameda PD said the Prius is one of the cars most impacted by catalytic converter theft.

by: Aaron Tolentino

Posted: May 14, 2023 / 08:03 PM PDT

Updated: May 14, 2023 / 10:43 PM PDT

(KRON) — An Alameda resident parked his car at a mosque in what seemed to be a routine Sunday morning. However, around 6 a.m. when he was inside the mosque praying, the owner of a Prius had his catalytic converter stolen in the parking lot.

Video (above) shows an unknown man stealing the catalytic converter from the Toyota, according to surveillance from the mosque obtained by KRON4.

The suspect is seen — around the 0:25 mark of the video above — exiting his car with tools that appear to be used for catalytic converter thefts. About two minutes later around the 2:50 mark, the suspect has the Prius’ catalytic converter in his hand and puts it in his Hyundai sedan.

The video ends with the unknown suspect driving away from the parking lot with the catalytic converter.

When he returned to his car and was about to drive, the victim said he noticed a loud sound coming out of his Prius. That's when he knew his catalytic converter had been stolen.

The owner of the Prius, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he had his catalytic converter stolen about two weeks ago — even spent around $200 for a shield to protect his catalytic converter from being stolen.

However, the shield was not damaged during the theft, the Prius owner told KRON4. He questions how the suspect was able to get through the protective shield in a matter of minutes.

The victim did not want to identify the mosque by name.

The owner of the Prius said he filed a police report with the Alameda Police Department. However, the department has not yet officially confirmed the theft.

Catalytic converter thefts in Alameda have been an ongoing issue. In one 30-day period earlier this year, there were 65 reports of catalytic converter thefts in the city. The Alameda Police Department said the Toyota Prius is one of the three vehicles most impacted by catalytic converter thefts.

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