SACRAMENTO, Calif. — An attempted theft of a catalytic converter was caught on camera in South Sacramento early Sunday morning.
The man who shot the video did not want to be identified, but said the incident happened on Gaddi Drive when the alleged thieves were attempting to get away with a catalytic converter. The man who captured the moments on the video tried to say something, but one of the men attempting to steal a catalytic converter pointed a blowtorch at him and started walking towards him.
The video shows the two men try to bail, leaving the catalytic converter behind, but returning for the jack they were using to prop up the vehicle.
"Get the hell out of here," says the man behind the camera.
One of the suspects with a shirt over his head can be heard yelling, "I need money and I'm hungry man... I'm sorry."
The owner of the Prius did not file a police report because he doesn't think the police will do anything with it. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office did not comment on this specific incident since there was no report filed. However, Detective Tom McCue from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office explained why these parts are popular to take.
"They take them because it's easy, it's easy to take, easy to get money for them," McCue said.
RELATED: Arrests made for over 60 catalytic converter thefts across Northern California, says Davis PD
According to McCue, some thieves can cut a catalytic converter off a car in less than 60 seconds, with the stolen part netting a thief $250. The theft also leaves the rightful owner with a very large deductible from their insurance or even thousands of dollars out of pocket.
So, how can car owners best protect their vehicles and their wallets?
"If they get what they call a CC Cage wielded on that converter," McCue said. "When they look under or feel, they will know that cage is there. It will take them a very long time to cut through that. They'll bypass it. They'll go onto an easier target."
WATCH NEXT: Man tries to steal catalytic converter
A man set up security cameras after someone tried to steal the catalytic converter from his car. A few days later, he caught the person trying to steal it again.
