SoCal man determined to combat catalytic converter thefts, pushing for stricter ordinances

MORENO VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) -- It only takes a few seconds for thieves to steal one of your car's more lucrative parts, leaving you thousands of dollars in debt. But one Moreno Valley man has made it his personal mission to combat those thefts.

A California bill passed in 2022 prohibits anyone from possessing nine or more catalytic converters without proof of ownership - but Daryl Terrell's proposed ordinance would make it illegal with just one.

Dubbed as the "One, You're Done," ordinance, it would make it illegal to possess any catalytic converter without proof of ownership.

"I had a friend who had it happen to him," Terrell said. "Then reading the feeds on my social media accounts about all the people getting their converters stolen."

Terrell, who is on the Moreno Valley Planning Commission, modeled the ordinance after a similar one in San Bernardino County.

"My grandfather said if you want to make a difference... present not only the problem, but present a solution," Terrell said.

He first brought up the idea at a Riverside County Board of Supervisors meeting in 2022 and initially faced pushback from county attorneys. His persistence eventually paid off with the board voting unanimously to approve the ordinance.

First district Supervisor Kevin Jeffries said Terrell was relentless in trying to get the board to pass the ordinance.

"Those are the people who you like to work with. Yes, they're presenting a problem, but at the same time they're providing a solution."

The county ordinance only applies to unincorporated portions of the county. Consequently, Terrell is now going to every city in Riverside County to advocate support for the ordinance.

Terrell's vigorous efforts have led to almost every Riverside city having adopted the ordinance, with 26 out of 28 cities incorporating the rule.

"This is affecting (people) countywide, and the only way to get something like that passed, is the cities have to all adopt that ordinance," Terrell said.

More than half of U.S. catalytic converter thefts in 2023 occurred in California, according to data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, with the Toyota Prius as the most sought after car in the thefts.

Johnny Wactor's death stunned Southern California after the "General Hospital" actor was killed while interrupting a catalytic converter theft on his own Toyota Prius.