2 People Arrested In Petaluma Amid Catalytic Converter Theft

PETALUMA, CA — A man and a woman were arrested this week after they were reportedly caught trying to steal a catalytic converter by a Petaluma resident, police said.

Jose Aguilar-Robles, of Richmond and Nancy Turcois, of San Rafael, were both arrested on suspicion of stolen property and attempted grand theft.

Just after 5 a.m. on Thursday, the resident said they witnessed a man underneath her neighbor's vehicle operating a power tool. Later, the resident reported the man leaving the area, according to the Petaluma Police Department.

After reporting the incident, officers determined that the man had attempted to remove her neighbor's catalytic converter from the car but were unsuccessful, police said.

After discovering the suspect vehicle at the intersection of Petaluma Boulevard North and Washington Street, an officer conducted a traffic stop, where he made contact with Aguilar-Robles and Turcois.

A vehicle search turned up a cordless drill, drug paraphernalia and a catalytic converter which officers said appeared to have been cut/removed from another vehicle recently.

"Officers located multiple tools commonly associated with stealing catalytic converters," police said in a statement.

Aguilar-Robles and Turcios were both arrested and booked at the Sonoma County Jail.