A man suspected of attempting to steal a vehicle’s catalytic converter in California died after the car fell on him.
According to Sgt. Shane Carringer of the Anaheim Police Department, the body of a man was discovered underneath a Toyota Prius at an auto repair lot at about 6:20 a.m. on Wednesday.
The man, whose name has not been revealed yet, was found dead underneath the car. It seemed that the man was attempting to steal the catalytic converter when the jack he was using failed and he was smashed under the weight of the vehicle.
Sean Harp, who works at the complex where the incident took place, was in his office when a “pretty frantic” person cautioned him that he saw a dead man beneath the car.
Harp investigated and said he observed the man’s torso underneath the vehicle with “his feet and … legs exposed”.
Officials said catalytic converter thefts have been on the rise as thieves seek metals in the auto parts they can sell.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recently arrested almost 20 people in relation to catalytic converter stealing and recovered 250 of them valued at $750,000.
The value of the metals inside the catalytic converters has boosted, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Recyclers will pay up to $250 per catalytic converter according to NICB.
The thefts are on increase in the area. They increased from 1,298 in 2018 to 14,433 in 2020, according to a report by NICB.
