Catalytic converter thefts continue on the rise.
Surveillance video provided to Eyewitness News from Omeed Emami shows a person outside Emami's home. The person appeared to be looking for a catalytic converter and to know he was on camera. The person even points his flashlight right at the camera. It seemed the possibility of trading in the valuable metal for cash won as the person took a look under Emami's car, parked in the driveway. Instead, the person took off.
Emami said he thought the person left after seeing he couldn't get to the catalytic converter.
"He saw the shield, a hundred percent," Emami said.
Taking his friend's advice, Emami installed one of these metal shield prototypes under his Prius-making it much harder for opportunists to get to the prized possession.
According to the Orange County Sheriff's Department, that Toyota model and the Ford F-150 are common targets.
Suspect throws catalytic converter parts onto freeway during dangerous high-speed chase in SoCal
Suspect throws catalytic converter parts onto freeway during dangerous high-speed chase in SoCal
Thefts of this car part reported in Mission Viejo were up more than 1500 percent from 2019 to 2021, according to numbers presented in a report Tuesday, to city leaders by Capt. Quyen Vuong with the OCSD.
Capt. Vuong said those behind the crime have tactics.
"These thieves are usually from other counties that come into our city and they like to target cities that are bordering freeways-not toll roads 'cause toll roads have cameras," Capt. Vuong said.
City leaders took action Tuesday, joining Irvine and Lake Forest in passing an ordinance making it illegal to possess a catalytic converter without proof of ownership. The second reading of the ordinance was scheduled for April 12.
"I think it's great. There needs to be some sort of stoppage and I totally understand where they're coming from in the sense of like, 'Okay, well, you know, there's no crime reported at the time when we stop these guys. There's nothing we can do," Emami said.
While law changes continued in the works, including efforts to pass a similar law at the state level, business was up at OC Hybrid Tech in Fountain Valley. Emami's friend, Amir Nazari, was busy with catalytic converter replacements and shield installations.
"We were actually shooting for hybrid batteries, but this is now 95 percent of our business," Nazari said.
The shop was so busy, there was hardly enough room for our news crew to get the story.
According to OCSD deputies and Nazari, the estimated cost of repairs when one of these is stolen can run anywhere from $1,500 to$3,500 or even higher depending on the damage.