WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Catalytic-converter thieves strike again (and again and again and …); car prowler leaves loot trail

| Crime | West Seattle news

Reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:

CATALYTIC-CONVERTER THEFT, AGAIN: This report is from Darin:

I started up my 2008 Prius this morning and it was really loud and I instantly knew the catalytic converter had been stolen based on all the WSB reports. I looked under the car and sure enough it was gone, wires were clipped and some tubing was left on the ground. I wanted to let you know so that WSB can keep reporting on these thefts. We are near Andover and 35th Ave SW. It will cost more to replace it than the car is worth so I have no idea what to do with the car now. It is definitely a huge bummer.

After that first note, Darin emailed to say another Prius owner nearby may have been hit too.

HOW COMMON IS IT? Recently we published a note from another victim of catalytic-converter theft, Katie, who sent this followup note: “The Toyota dealer told me they’ve replaced 500 stolen catalytic converters in the last month!”

CAR PROWLER: Jillian says this happened early Saturday:

My car was rifled through at 12:30 am in my driveway on a side street near Riverview Park. (Unfortunately, I accidentally left my wallet in the car after a hard day with my 4-year-old.) After picking through my car, he walked along 16th SW headed to 7-11, dumping my things. I was able to find some things following his trail. He made a purchase at the 7-11 before catching the bus and heading into White Center to make more purchases before I discovered that my wallet did not come into the house.

CJ December 13, 2020 (3:05 pm)

So can we assume that the local metal recycling businesses are part of the problem here? If not, how are the thieves able to turn the stolen parts into cash without selling them to a recycler?

BBILL December 13, 2020 (4:10 pm)

It’s called smelting.

Alki resident December 13, 2020 (3:22 pm)

Prius owners: Same thing happened to us. Order a $300 pipe and get it installed. No need to buy something for more than that. Ours works great.

BBILL December 13, 2020 (4:10 pm)

You won’t get fined if you don’t get caught…

DeadEnd Marc December 13, 2020 (3:40 pm)

One reason on vulnerable autos to run with low deductible insurance.Then again, that can cost more than the car, too. Sincere regrets.

Holly December 13, 2020 (4:04 pm)

The catalytic converter was stolen off of our Prius last week also. We live a block east of West Seattle High School. Luckily we have insurance, but still had to pay a hefty deductible, and the cover we bought to be installed on top of the new catalytic converter was not covered by insurance ($160 to buy, about $300 to install). Sigh.

Molly December 13, 2020 (4:33 pm)

So you have the cover and they were still able to get it off of it? Ugh. We just bought the cover for our Prius so it’s a real bummer if they’re still able to get around it.
- BBILL December 13, 2020 (4:44 pm)
  
  Insurance does not cover any protective devices, so you did the right thing by getting the cover before your converter was stolen. While it is possible to remove a converter from a vehicle that has a cover installed, the amount of time and effort required to do so is sufficient to keep the thieves away.
- Resident December 13, 2020 (7:45 pm)
  
  They are saying they bought the cover the replacement, they didn’t have the cover when the converter got stolen.
- Holly December 14, 2020 (9:52 am)
  
  Hi Molly, yes Resident is correct – we bought the cover to put on now that we have the new converter installed.
- Keyboard Warrior December 15, 2020 (12:42 pm)
  
  no. they said they installed the cover over their NEW one. You have to read ALLLLLL the words

Dan December 13, 2020 (4:08 pm)

ALKI RESIDENT, is it called Cat Security? I see that product being advertised. My next door neighbor got hit last month. He parks next to my Prius, so I’m worried I’m next. Is law enforcement looking into this? 500 people hit, that’s crazy.

Alki resident December 13, 2020 (4:56 pm)

Cat Security appears to be a shied which we don’t have. I was talking about a replacement pipe for the missing converter for $300. Her dad installed it. I highly doubt police are doing anything, it happens so fast and gets turned into the scrap yard for cash.
BBILL December 13, 2020 (5:51 pm)

There are way too many reports of Prius catalytic converter thefts, so much so that if I owned a Prius, I’d buy a cover–any cover–before it’s too late.
Carole December 13, 2020 (6:36 pm)

Yes. Catsecurity Got it after I was hit. Had the dealer put it on when new converter (insurancevciveted less defuctible) was installed. Paid 170 (no insurance for this) plus labor to install the catsecurity. You also get stickers for your window so that’s a visual deterrent as well.I read there’s a group of owners pushing Toyota to install covers on all converters at factory so they are standard on cars when sold.

dsa December 13, 2020 (4:56 pm)

A replacement cat cost 300 – 400 dollars on rockauto.com and elsewhere, but I would prefer rockauto. The catch is that an outsourced cat is less quality than what is required in California. Dealers are most likely using those California cats. So for an around town I’d go with an after market cat and save.

flimflam December 13, 2020 (4:58 pm)

Wow, 500 replaced in a month? Too bad it’s a “victimless, low level ” crime that our city has no interest in prosecuting. Poor, poor thieves need that metal more than the car owner, right?

WSB December 13, 2020 (5:49 pm)

No, actually, at the prices people are quoting, this would be felony theft, and the city would have no role in prosecuting it – the county prosecuting attorney would.

Guy December 13, 2020 (6:37 pm)

KELLY R TAYLOR December 15, 2020 (12:45 pm)

these are USELESS! There was a giant one around our CatCon on our U-Haul in Bakersfield last month. They simply cut the end closest to the engine then take out a good chunk of the pipe. It slides right out PLUS you lose a good portion of your tailpipe

Dan December 13, 2020 (6:39 pm)

It costs much more than the $300 or $400 mentioned. My neighbor said it cost him $1500 because they don’t just take out the cat, they cut through other cables and pipes. His insurance covered all but his $500 deductible but who wants to hit their insurance up for this?

Jamie December 13, 2020 (8:32 pm)

Back in October,. I saw a homeless.person on a skateboard carrying two catalytic converters near Rudy’s. I shared photos with the police via the City of Seattle app and also emailed them to the WSB. No followup from the police. I still have the photos if it would help put these thefts to an end.

Saleem Robinson December 13, 2020 (9:41 pm)

Hi Dan sorry for your unfortunate loss! My 2006 Prius was hit right out in the parking lot of my residence a couple months ago! If you decide not to get yours fixed and would like to donate it as a tax write to our Youth Outreach organization please let me know or sell it!

Catalyst December 13, 2020 (10:30 pm)

Certainly some of the people selling the remedy are influencing the theft.

WestJack December 14, 2020 (7:46 am)

From what I read online, these 3 metals (platinum, palladium and rhodium) are the most valuable ones that are in the converters. Even if these are smelted down to their basic metals, who is buying the metal? They are just as complicit in these crimes as the thieves themselves. It’s not like there are places to mine any of these metals anywhere around here. So they must be coming from stolen converters. Make it a crime to buy these metals without some sort of paper trail from where the metals came from.

So_I_hear... December 15, 2020 (7:14 am)

A friend works at local Toyota dealer, says there’s a huge line of Prius’ waiting for repair.Word on the street is that an Idaho family is coming over and offering cash for the converters which they take back to dismantle/smelt.