Witness To Guilford Daytime Catalytic Converter Theft Becomes Victim

GUILFORD, CT — A witness to the crime tried to record people stealing a catalytic converter from a vehicle in a Guilford business Saturday afternoon, police said.

It was around 3 p.m. when police were called to the parking lot of a business in the area of Goose Lane and Boston Post Road for the report of a catalytic converter theft, authorities reported in a Facebook post. As the device was being stolen by three "male suspects," police said, a witness in a nearby vehicle tried to record the crime. When the alleged thieves saw the person, they "proceeded to smash windows on the witness’ vehicle before fleeing the area."

Police said the "witness/victim was not injured."

Police soon posted images of the vehicle involved in the theft and posted images to Facebook. It's described as a silver Honda Accord, with a stolen plate. Other damage to the car was noted by police, as seen in the images: the driver's side headlight and bumper have damage as well as the passenger side rear quarter panel. It's described by police as having "limo-style tint."

"If you see this vehicle engaged in similar criminal activity, please keep your distance and call 911 immediately," Guilford police said.

"Catalytic converter thefts are on the rise and broad daylight thefts are not uncommon, unfortunately," police wrote. "If you witness something like this happening, please call 911 immediately to report the crime in progress and get police on the way. Maintain a safe distance and let officers handle any interaction with the suspects. In order to reduce the risk of catalytic converter theft, please park in visible, high traffic areas of parking lots. You can also check with your vehicle manufacturer or preferred mechanic to see if there is a device that can be installed on your vehicle to prevent or reduce the threat of this type of theft."

This case remains active and anyone with information related to this incident should call the Guilford Police Department at (203)453-8061.