Texas lawmakers consider tougher penalties for catalytic converter thieves

MESKITE, TX (CBSDFW.COM) “This is probably the biggest crime going on in North Texas right now.

Neighborhood social networking sites are flooded these days with reports of catalytic converter thefts costing people with high insurance premiums a lot of money.

This has caught the attention of state lawmakers, who are considering harsher penalties for thieves, such as those who stole a catalytic converter from John Count’s truck.

Counts had no idea how expensive his lunch would be when he walked into a restaurant in Balch Springs last Monday.

“I come here every day,” he said. “This is my sister’s restaurant and I come here every morning for coffee.”

As Counts and other patrons sat at Peggy’s country cafe, security cameras captured two people parked next to his Toyota Tacoma pickup truck right in front of the restaurant.

One of the two went inside and asked if the restaurant sold cigarettes, then went outside and opened the door for another man who got out and slid under the Count’s car with a drill.

In less than a minute, they removed one of the catalysts, put it in the trunk, and drove off.

“When I was ready to go, I got out and started my truck, boy, it sounded like a bomb,” Counts said.

Surveillance cameras recorded Count’s attempts to find out what was wrong with this truck.

He eventually looked inside and realized that he was the latest victim of a crime that many people in North Texas could be linked to.

“I don’t like liars or thieves, they are what they are, they are no good, they need to be caught and severely punished,” he said.

That’s what the bill in the state legislature is for.

The Houston state senator wants to add organized crime charges to those arrested for stealing catalytic converters and restrict those who can own them to auto repair shops and junkyards.

This is due to a 5,300% increase in catalytic converter theft auto insurance claims in Texas since 2019.

Thieves can sell stolen catalytic converters for several hundred dollars because of the platinum and other valuable precious metals that are used to make them.

Balch Springs police told CBS 11 they were still looking for those behind Count’s catalytic converter theft.

This 73-year-old retiree needed $900 out of pocket to get his only car working again, even with insurance.

“Whether I could afford it or not, I had to pay,” Counts said. “I need my truck. It hurted me”.

In fact, the only way to protect your car when it’s outdoors is to invest in a steel shield that covers the catalytic converter.

They cost around $300 but can double the time it takes a thief to do their dirty work.