Pursuit Ends With San Bruno Cat Converter Suspect’s Arrest

SAN BRUNO, CA — A police chase that started in the Peninsula ended in the East Bay where police made one arrest early Monday morning in connection with a catalytic converter theft, but other suspects got away and remain at large, San Bruno police said.

Officers were called to the 500 block of Cherry Avenue shortly before 2 a.m. after a resident noticed a vehicle double-parked and said it appeared that power tools were being used underneath another vehicle at the curb.

Officers located and attempted to stop the suspect vehicle, which led officers and the California Highway Patrol on a pursuit into Oakland, where the vehicle abruptly stopped and multiple suspects fled on foot.

One suspect, described by police as a 24-year-old transient man from Oakland, was apprehended.
Officers determined power tools had been used to cut the catalytic converter off a vehicle.

The suspect was booked into the San Mateo County Jail on numerous theft-related charges.

Detectives have "substantial evidence" as they work to identify the other suspects, police said.

Catalytic converters reduce harmful pollutants and have been mandated in the United States since 1975.

They contain precious metals including platinum, rhodium and gold, which has made them an attractive target for thieves.

Catalytic converters can be removed from cars in minutes and sold to metal recyclers for $20-$200 according to Edmunds.

The extracted metals can be sold for up to $6,000 an ounce. The cost of replacing catalytic converters is typically upwards of $1,000.

Anyone with any information about this case is asked to contact San Bruno police at (650) 616-7100 or sbpdtipline@sanbruno.ca.gov. Information can be left anonymously.

— Bay City News and Patch Editor Gideon Rubin contributed to this report