Two Sacramento residents were arrested Saturday morning in Santa Barbara County in connection to multiple catalytic converter thefts.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies said they responded to reports of a catalytic converter theft on Arbol Verde Street in Carpinteria at 5:37 a.m.
When they arrived, deputies found a catalytic converter was stolen from a Toyota Prius parked in the victim’s driveway.
The victim said they heard something like a saw cutting through metal before calling 911.
A few minutes later, deputies said they noticed a vehicle leaving the area and made a traffic stop based on a vehicle code violation.
When deputies made contact with the two people inside the vehicle, they said they noticed two catalytic converters in the backseat.
Deputies said they arrested Sacramento residents 41-year-old Banny Lo and 27-year-old Gary Lee.
During a search of the suspect vehicle, deputies said they found reciprocating saws, a car jack and other tools.
Lo and Lee were booked into the Santa Barbara County Main Jail to await multiple charges including for grand theft.
Deputies said they responded to two additional catalytic converter thefts in Carpinteria after the arrest.
The Sheriff’s Office said the theft of catalytic converters is popular because the converters can easily be removed, they do not have serial numbers and the precious metals they are made of can be sold to recyclers.
Car owners can follow these tips to prevent catalytic converter thefts:
- Park inside a garage or secure yard
- Install motion detector lights near parking areas
- Install a catalytic converter protection device
- Educate neighbors to keep an eye out for catalytic converter thieves
