La Mesa Police Warn of Uptick in Catalytic Converter Thefts From Vehicles

The La Mesa Police Department announced Monday that it has received an unusual rise in reports of a specific car part being stolen during the night.

According to the La Mesa Police newsletter released this week, "several" catalytic converter thefts have been reported in the last month. A catalytic converter is part of a vehicle's exhaust system and contains small amounts of precious metal that can be recycled for cash, according to Police. 

Police said thieves remove the part by crawling under high profile vehicles and cutting off or removing the bolts. Locally, thieves are predominantly targeting 1990s Toyota pick ups, Tacomas, and 4Runners, said Police. 

Police described thefts as occurring overnight when the vehicles are parked in driveways and on the street, and suggest parking in a secured garage whenever possible. If you're concerned about theft, you can have your license plate number engraved on the auto part to aid in identification, or a mechanic can weld additional metal to the converter, making it more difficult for thieves to remove it.