Bellevue Police Arrest Man Accused In Catalytic Converter Theft

BELLEVUE, WA — Bellevue police wasted no time solving the latest case involving a stolen catalytic converter, aided in part by the hasty escape of the accused thief, officials said Wednesday.

Police said a woman called 911 early Tuesday morning after waking up to a strange noise and seeing a stranger underneath her Toyota Prius on 100th Avenue Northeast. The man quickly fled in a silver car, taking the catalytic converter but leaving behind several tools, including two power saws and a car jack.

While an officer was interviewing the woman, police said another officer stopped a silver car after noticing wires hanging out of the trunk. Inside, police said, was the catalytic converter and freshly-cut metal that appeared to have come from the Prius.

Police booked a 35-year-old man into the King County Jail accused of a lengthy list of crimes, including theft, malicious mischief, driving with a suspended license, and possession of burglary tools, drug paraphernalia, stolen property and someone else's identification.

Late last year, the King County Sheriff's Office flagged a growing trend of catalytic converter thefts reported around the region. Investigators said the device's ceramic cores contain several valuable metals, including platinum, palladium and rhodium. The stolen items are then sold online and can fetch prices as high as $1,000. For victims, repairs can cost additional thousands.