Catalytic converter stolen from North Bay family’s wheelchair van

Catalytic converter thieves in Solano County attacked a wheelchair accessible family van.

Velia Valtierra, 74, is dependent on a van to take her disabled son Artur Sanchez, 42, to his day program and other outings, but on Wednesday someone stole the van from the disabled parking space at the family’s apartment complex.

The van was later found abandoned in a parking lot in Fairfield. The thieves broke the van’s hydraulic wheelchair lift to get to the catalytic converter, causing thousands of dollars in damage.

“I’m just so surprised they did this knowing it’s wheelchair accessible,” Valtierra said. “They don’t have any compassion for people who need a van that has to be wheelchair accessible so they can get around.”

The family has a small back-up minivan with a manual lift that they still use but is difficult to maneuver.