Meet Enzo. The K9 Cop Taking A Bite Out Of The Catalytic Theft Ring In Orange County

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — His name is Enzo, and he's one of Orange County Sheriff's Department's finest K9 officers. He's got his own Instagram page showcasing his many achievements and now he's got another notch in his collar.

On Tuesday night, K9 Enzo, together with his fellow K9 Mac and their handlers, assisted in arresting suspects in a ring of catalytic converter thefts overnight in the city of Santa Ana, according to Orange County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Todd Hylton.

The 4-legged officers also assisted in the arrest of Peter Gonzalez, 18 of San Bernardino, and two juveniles, during the take-down.

Catalytic converter thefts have been on the rise over the past year, with just about every city in Orange County affected, according to Hylton. The thieves move quickly, using hydraulic lift jacks to raise the victim's vehicles and power saws to remove the pricey piece of hardware within moments.

These crucial emissions components convert 90 percent of harmful emissions into safer gases for the environment. But they are a hot commodity for thieves since they contain valuable precious metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium. Often, unsuspecting victims aren't aware of the crime until starting their cars the following day.

Catalytic converter thefts have increased more than 500 percent from 2020 to 2021, with most thefts taking place between January to October, according to the City of Irvine.

Read: Orange County Offers Catalytic Converter Etching Amid Thefts

"Tuesday night, three suspects wanted for stealing multiple catalytic converters from vehicles were located in the Santa Ana area," OCSD reported over Instagram.

"Mac was with us when we attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the suspect's vehicle," Enzo's handler wrote on the Instagram page for the K9 officer.

The suspects immediately fled in a Mercedes sedan, and the K9 handlers initiated a pursuit.

The suspect rammed Enzo and Mac's K9 vehicles before their Mercedes became disabled. There was minor damage to the K9 vehicles.

"Enzo and Mac were used to convince all three suspects to surrender peacefully," OCSD writes. "The suspects were taken into custody and the catalytic converters were recovered.

No Deputies or K9s were injured during the arrest.

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