Duo Caught With 7 Stolen Catalytic Converters: Petaluma Police

PETALUMA, CA — Two Sacramento residents were arrested early Sunday in Petaluma in connection with catalytic converter thefts thanks to information provided by a resident, police said.

Around 3:30 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to a report of a catalytic converter theft near Southpoint Boulevard in Petaluma. The caller provided a description of the suspect's car, and officers found and stopped the car as it was leaving the city, Petaluma police Lt. Nick McGowan said.

During the traffic stop on U.S. Highway 101 at Lakeville Highway, officers saw numerous catalytic converters, an automobile jack, and electric tools on the back seat of the car, the lieutenant said.

"Upon further inspection, officers recovered seven catalytic converters that were removed from various vehicles," McGowan said.

Nongchi Yang, 39, and Thai Vue, 37, both of Sacramento, were arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property and possession of burglary tools and were booked into Sonoma County jail.

According to police, catalytic converter thefts continue to plague California residents because of the value of the metals used in manufacturing them. Catalytic converters contain platinum, rhodium, and palladium, which are costly metals that can be sold to scrap yards for several hundred dollars per catalytic converter, depending on the size of the converter and the current rate on the metals inside it, police said.

Further, it can cost up to $2,000 to replace a catalytic converter, and it is illegal to drive a car without one.