Why are catalytic converters being stolen ? Thief fatally stabbed by California homeowner 

On Friday, April 21, a California homeowner fatally stabbed a suspect who was attempting to steal a catalytic converter from his car, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office. The incident occurred in the 11200 block of Thienes Avenue at around 2:30 a.m. when the California man was awakened by a group of men talking in his driveway.

The California man confronted up to four thieves with a kitchen knife in his California home and, during the altercation, stabbed one of the suspects.

In the past, the theft of catalytic converters surged by 325% between 2019 and 2020, primarily due to the value of rhodium, palladium, and platinum used in these parts. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, rhodium can fetch up to $20,000 per ounce, while palladium costs nearly $3,000 per ounce, and platinum costs about $1,128 per ounce.

Back in 2021, in order to curb catalytic converter theft, 26 US states proposed legislation, with 10 states successfully enacting laws to prevent such incidents.

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Catalytic converter theft in California: Police yet to file charges against the homeowner

The homeowner stabbed the suspect, who was described by authorities as a 45- to 50-year-old man. In the meantime, The Post stated that the other suspects took off in a small car.

When police arrived at the scene, they found the suspect's body and identified tools typically used in catalytic converter thefts next to it. The California man was taken in for questioning, but no charges have been filed against him.

Police busts crime ring involving catalytic converter trafficking (Image via Getty)

A woman in Los Angeles, California, killed a man who was attempting to steal her catalytic converter in February at a similar event when she accidentally raced over and ran him over. A group of four thieves reportedly woke up the California woman.

Catalytic converter thefts have become a significant issue across the United States, and at least one other thief has been killed while committing the crime.

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Catalytic converters are easy to steal and very valuable

In August 2022, the man responsible for a catalytic converter trafficking operation worth $22 million was nabbed by authorities. He was based out of Oregon and had operations across six states. A jury indicted a dozen people on multiple charges, including racketeering, aggravated theft, and money laundering in connection to the case.

One of the primary reasons for stealing catalytic converters is that they are easy to steal. A seasoned thief can remove a catalytic converter within minutes. Sometimes it does not even require jacking up the vehicle. Another reason, as previously mentioned, is that a catalytic converter is very valuable.

Catalytic converters are useful for converting harmful pollutants in car exhaust into less harmful compounds. They can reduce hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide emissions by 90% and diesel particulate matter emissions by 25–35%. This is done using metallic catalysts at lower temperatures.

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Emissions control devices have become a hot commodity among auto thieves, and in New York City, such thefts rose by as much as 600% across the five boroughs last year, as reported by The Post.

Based on repair records, CarFax estimates that around 153,000 emissions control devices were stolen in 2022. Even Oscar Mayer Wienermobile had its catalytic converter stolen while parked at the Sonesta Suites on Paradise Road in Las Vegas earlier this year.