Stolen Catalytic Converters, Guns Bust Made In Arlington Heights

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — One person is in custody, while several others involved in a series of crimes fled police Saturday morning following a short car chase near the 1400 block of E. Central Road. Terrell L. Davidson, 29, of the 5800 block of W. Division Street, Chicago, is accused of possession of a stolen motor vehicle (class 2 felony), theft over $500 (class 3 felony) and obstructing a peace officer (class A misdemeanor), and was arrested at the scene.

Davidson is currently housed in the Cook County Jail. No bond was granted during a Sunday hearing. His next court date is scheduled for Monday.

Arlington Heights police said they recovered nine stolen catalytic converters, three loaded Glock handguns (each with an extended magazine and one with a laser sight) were recovered from a stolen blue 2018 Jaguar F-Pace used in the crime. Lift and power tools used to steal the catalytic converters were also recovered from the SUV. The vehicle had been recently stolen from downtown Chicago. A Florida license plate attached to the Jaguar was also reported stolen from Moline, according to a news release.

Police were called to a condominium complex in the 1400 block of E. Central Road at around 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning for a possible catalytic converter theft in progress. According to police, a suspicious vehicle and several people walking around the parking lot prompted a resident to call 911.

The responding police interrupted the theft in progress. The suspects entered the suspicious vehicle and attempted to elude police by fleeing the area. The SUV traveled a short distance before becoming disabled after driving over a large landscape boulder. Several of the vehicle's occupants ran from the stolen vehicle and officers quickly apprehended Davidson.

According to the news release, a perimeter was quickly established with mutual aid assistance provided by the Elk Grove Village, Mount Prospect and Rolling Meadows police departments. AHPD deployed a drone with thermal imaging capabilities in search of the individuals who fled. The search effort did not locate additional suspects.

Police said this case serves as an example of its "See Something, Say Something" policy as a member of the public saw suspicious activity and promptly called 911, leading to the "swift" police intervention. Arlington Heights police encourage the public to call 911 when they see something suspicious occurring, but also highly recommend refraining from becoming actively involved. Police also note the recovery of multiple handguns from inside the vehicle used in the crime suggest a person challenging a catalytic converter theft could result in a "fatal encounter."