Alleged catalytic converter thief found crushed to death by car he tried to steal

A Georgia man died Tuesday when the car he was trying to steal a catalytic converter from fell over and crushed him to death, police said.

Chatham County Police said Matthew Eric Smith, 32, climbed under a car in the parking lot. When he allegedly tried to remove the device, the car fell on him.

The owner of Prestige Auto Sales found Smith under the car around 9:15 am on March 7, according to WSAV-TV. Police said Smith was dead after being crushed.

He reportedly had an extensive criminal record in the area.

Chatham County Police Department Chief Jeff Hadley told the publication that his agency had decided to speak up about Smith’s death so that the public would be made aware of such thefts.

“We don’t usually go public with every death investigation we’ve been involved in,” Hadley said. “Many are natural, it could be an overdose or something…”

Hadley said he hoped the case would serve as a “deterrent” for people who are targeting cars.

Thefts of these exhaust emission control devices from parked cars, trucks and SUVs have increased dramatically in recent years.

There were 3,389 catalytic converter theft claims filed in 2019, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

In 2020, the number of claims jumped 325 percent to 14,433.

CARFAX reported that thieves are most targeting Ford F-series trucks produced from 1985 to 2021. Other target models include 1989-2020 Honda Accords, 2007-2017 Jeep Patriots and 1999-2021 Chevrolet Silverados.

The precious metals used to make the devices are worth thousands of dollars an ounce in some cases.

People can protect their cars from theft by parking them in well-lit areas and garages, and installing anti-theft grilles on their catalytic converters.

NerdWallet also offers to paint the converters in a bright color and stamp them with a vehicle identification number or VIN to deter would-be thieves.

Reputable scrap dealers are less likely to accept such a device from the seller if it is marked.

In November, the Justice Department charged 21 people in nine states, from California to New York, with allegedly operating a chain of stolen catalytic converters.

The department said that because of California’s vehicle emissions standards, state vehicles are easy targets.

But U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma Clint Johnson said there were 2,000 catalytic converter thefts in the city of Tulsa alone in the previous year.

“Organized criminal activity, including large-scale theft of catalytic converters, is costly to victims and too often endangers citizens and law enforcement,” Johnson said.