Catalytic converter thief targets California car dealership
The video captured the moment a catalytic converter thief threw a car part at a security guard at a Cerritos car dealership.
The incident occurred around 6 a.m. Sunday at the Cerritos Mitsubishi Dealer Service Center at 10944 South Street, Cerritos City.
Night security guard Jaelo Barba told KTLA that after spotting the suspects and calling police, he drove around the property honking his horn to distract the suspects. Then the male is seen to become aggressive.
The video shows the suspects throwing the broken side mirror of a customer’s car as they headed toward the security guard’s car. One of the suspects then threw a catalytic converter at the car and broke the windshield.
Rigo Lafontaine, the dealer’s service director, said the theft was an ongoing problem.
“This year alone we’ve been hit three times, maybe four, and I’d like to say last year we’ve been hit at least four more times,” he told KTLA.
LaFontaine said the thieves are also quick and can steal four catalytic converters in minutes.
“It’s an ongoing issue,” he said. “That’s the only reason we brought in the guards. They’re not cheap, every catalytic converter costs about $2,700. We can’t keep losing catalytic converters.”
The service chief said it would be cheaper for Lott to pay for the replacement of the stolen parts out of his own pocket than to deal with the insurance company.
“We have seen police file report after report. ‘, said Lafontaine of the thief. “Every time I look at it, yes, it’s the man with the black mask.”
Luckily, Baba was not injured in the incident. Anyone with an idea of the suspect is urged to contact law enforcement.
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/catalytic-converter-thieves-target-auto-dealership-in-cerritos/ Catalytic converter thief targets California car dealership
