HOUSTON – People in the Addicks area said a local Park and Ride has become a hot spot for catalytic converter thefts.
One man KPRC 2 spoke to said his truck was ripped apart twice in three months, even though he went through extra measures to protect his vehicle the second time.
Now, John Moore’s Toyota Tacoma’s engine is working fine, but back in January after returning from work to the Park and Ride near Highway 6 and Park Row, he said it sounded twice as loud, and not in a good way.
“When I got there and started up my truck, it was gone,” Moore said.
He said his catalytic converter was stolen from his vehicle.
Catalytic converters are hot items for thieves who have been cutting them off the bottom of cars and trucks and selling them for the precious metals they contain like platinum, palladium and rhodium, which are put there to help purify air exhaust as it passes through.
“I park here to save on gas, but now if I park my car here, it’s getting ripped and it defeats the purpose of parking here,” said driver AJ Penton who was heading to his car that was parked at the Park and Ride.
Moore, who happens to be a high school automotive teacher, was able to replace his own catalytic converter and suggests getting a protective plate and painting it a bright color so thieves can easily spot it.
As far as the rash of thefts in this area, anyone with information is asked to call authorities.