STOCKTON, Calif. — An apparent catalytic converter theft was caught on security camera video in Stockton.
It was a crime that only took 60 seconds to commit, but it is now costing a Stockton family an estimated $4,000-$5,000 in repairs, leaving them without a car for potentially six months.
When Michele Morris-Richardson returned to her Stockton home from a shopping trip Sunday, she noticed something out of the ordinary, a cement block behind the tire of her mother's car, which had been parked in their driveway.
"I looked through the footage and there I saw what happened" Morris-Richardson said.
In the video, two thieves are seen leaving their grey sedan with a car jack and cement block. While one suspect places the block behind the car's rear tire, the other begins lifting the car with the jack and drilling.
In less than one minute, the thieves run from the driveway into the direct sunlight, catalytic converter in hand, leaving behind the cement block.
"I was shocked at the audacity of these two men. They didn't look around to see if anybody was watching. One of them looked directly into the camera," Morris-Richardson said. "They didn't even try to hide their identity."
Morris-Richardson has since reported the incident to law enforcement. She says this is the first time a crime has occurred at their home, which her family has owned and lived in for nearly 70 years.
"We're kind of shaken that somebody would just come right onto the property like that in broad daylight," Morris-Richardson said.
When they took her mother's car to a local shop, Morris-Richardson says workers told them it could take up to six months and cost up to $5,000 to fix due to an increase in demand for catalytic converters.
"It's going to be a big inconvenience," Morris-Richardson said. "Now, we're going to buy a shed, lock up everything in the garage so she (her mother) can park in the driveway because what's to stop them from coming back?"
The Stockton Police Department says their officers receive several reports of stolen catalytic converters each week, but there has not been a noticeable increase recently.
Police encourage car owners to install motion sensing lights around parking spaces and driveways, engrave the catalytic converter with the car's VIN number, weld the heads off of catalytic converter belts, install security cameras and park close to others in well-lit areas.
If loud roaring noises can be heard after starting the car's engine and pushing the gas pedal, police say that could be a sign that the catalytic converter is missing.
Stockton police encourage members of the public to report cases of stolen catalytic converters by calling their non-emergency number, (209) 937-8377 or using their online form.
As the brazen incident chips at Morris-Richardson's sense of safety in her own home, she is now thinking twice about where she parks, and hopes the suspects will be caught.
"Times are tough right now in this pandemic," Morris-Richardson said. "People are struggling. They don't need the added stress of replacing their missing items."
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