Missing a catalytic converter? The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office might want to speak with you.
Deputies seized 20 catalytic converters from inside a car they pulled over for a routine traffic stop early Tuesday morning in the Isla Vista area, authorities said.
They also located a floor jack and impact drill.
Both occupants of the car, Arman Abrahamyan, 25, of Van Nuys, and Levon Martirosyan, 27, of Glendale, face a host of felony charges including grand theft, possession of burglary tools, possession of stolen property and conspiracy.
Both were being held in lieu of $20,000 bail at the Santa Barbara Main Jail.
“Deputies from the Isla Vista Foot Patrol and Goleta Patrol have taken several reports for thefts of catalytic converters throughout the day on Tuesday,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
The three precious metals that are commonly used in catalytic converters, platinum, palladium and rhodium, sell for high prices, making them an appealing target for thieves.
Victims who have not yet reported their catalytic converter as stolen were encouraged to use an online reporting tool at SBSheriff.org or contact dispatch at 805-683-2724.
