Homeowner Shot Twice During Catalytic Converter Theft
Getaway vehicle abandoned
A Castro Valley man is recovering from two gunshot wounds to his leg following the attempted theft of the catalytic converter from his Toyota Prius last Wednesday.
Alameda County Sheriff's deputies responded to reports of gunfire at about 3:50 a.m. in front of a home on Sargent Avenue near Center Street. That's where they found the man bleeding. Deputies applied a tourniquet to his leg, and he was transported to the hospital.
Catalytic converters in trunk
The man told deputies that four people were attempting to elevate his car so they could steal the catalytic converter when he shouted at and confronted them. The man was shot twice in the leg and the suspects fled the scene in a silver car with four doors.
"What’s concerning about this particular case is how the suspects are willing to go from committing a theft to gun violence," Alameda County Sheriff's Office Lt. Ray Kelly said.
As the suspects fled the area, a deputy spotted a vehicle matching the description traveling on Interstate 580 at 150th Avenue toward Oakland. The deputy followed the car onto eastbound Highway 24 where he was eventually joined by the CHP. Officers attempted to pull the car over, but the driver sped up near the Interstate 680 interchange and evaded capture.
The CHP later reported a vehicle matching the description of the getaway car had crashed into a sidewalk in Walnut Creek at the intersection of Treat and Buskirk. The suspects were not in or near the car when officers arrived. No one was arrested and the investigation is ongoing.
Deputies took possession of the suspect's vehicle and found the trunk to be filled with catalytic converters that look like they were cut from other cars. The vehicle was towed as evidence.
A catalytic converter is a device that looks like a small muffler along with the exhaust system. It is designed to convert the environmentally hazardous exhaust emitted by an engine into less harmful gasses. To do this, manufacturers use platinum, palladium, or rhodium. Each of these metals can cost tens of thousands of dollars an ounce.
To help prevent theft, the National Insurance Crime Bureau suggests homeowners park their vehicles in the garage or attach an anti-theft device to the catalytic converter. Companies should consider parking fleet vehicles close together and ensure security measures are taken.
Above all, law enforcement officials warn residents to avoid confronting thieves and put their family and their own safety first.
"The best thing to do is to call 911 quietly, from inside your home," Lt. Kelly said. "Keep the lights off, look out the window, and give our 911 operators a play-by-play of what's going on."