Fremont School District Catalytic Converter Thefts

FREMONT, CA — The Fremont Unified School District was hit with a major theft earlier this month when approximately six catalytic converters were ripped from district vehicles.

According to a police report, one or more suspects "cut a hole in a fence on the south side of a parking lot on S. Grimmer Blvd."

The theft happened somewhere between Feb. 5 and 8.

Also on the 8th, a catalytic converter was taken from a Prius in the area of Arbutus Court.

Patch has requested information on how many catalytic converters thefts have occurred in 2021.

With parts and labor, replacing a stolen catalytic converter costs around $1,000 and up.

If you are a victim of theft, file a police report. Next, call your insurance company. If you have a comprehensive policy, repairing your vehicle may be covered.

On Monday, police offered to following tips to avoid becoming a victim:

• Park your car in a garage to ensure that access to your vehicle’s catalytic converter is more difficult
• Try to park in a location that is well-lit and overlooked
• Engrave your Vehicle Identification Number on the catalytic converter, which may alert a recycling center that it was stolen
• Calibrate your car’s alarm to alert when it detects the vibration
• Home video surveillance can help in identifying suspects committing this crime

If you see something suspicious, call the Fremont Police Non-Emergency number at 510-790-6800, extension 3.