Rash Of Catalytic Converters Stolen From Westfield Cars

WESTFIELD, NJ — A rash of catalytic converter from Westfield vehicles was reported last week, according to the Westfield Police Blotter.

The following is the Westfield Police Blotter from Aug. 6 to 12:

On Aug. 6 at 3:09 p.m.: A 100 block of Washington Street resident reports being a victim of criminal mischief that led to theft from their vehicle. The resident reported an issue with their vehicle and upon inspection learned that the exhaust system to the vehicle had been damaged and the catalytic converter for the vehicle was stolen. The cost of the damage and replacing the catalytic converter is more than $1,000.

On Aug. 7 at 4:05 a.m.: A Sunset Avenue resident reports that unknown actors tried to burglarize their home. The actors tried to gain access through a partially unlocked window. However, the window opening was too small and no entry was gained. During this attempted entry damage occurred to the window. The cost to repair the criminal mischief is unknown. There were no items taken from the residence, nor was there any entry to vehicles in the driveway.

On Aug. 8 at 1:53 p.m.: A Sandra Circle resident reported that someone said they were from PayPal and that there were fraudulent charges on their account. This person said that to protect the money in their bank account, they need to withdraw all of their money and place it into a postal account. The victim stated that they believed this to be fraud and ended the call.

On Aug. 12 at 1:04 a.m.: A 41-year-old man from Springfield was arrested for driving while intoxicated subsequent to a motor vehicle stop on Central Avenue near Dakota Street. He was processed and released with a mandatory Westfield Municipal Court date.

On Aug. 11 at 8 a.m.: A resident of the 100 block of Surrey Lane reported a theft of a catalytic converter. The victim's vehicle was parked on the roadway in front of his home during the overnight hours between Aug. 10 and 11. On the morning of Aug. 11, the victim noticed the catalytic converter was stolen from his vehicle. The converter is valued at around $1,000.

On Aug. 11 at 8 a.m.: A resident of the 100 block of Cottage Place reports the theft of catalytic converters from two of his vehicles. The thefts occurred during the overnight hours between Aug. 1o and 11 while the vehicles were parked in the driveway. The total monetary value of the items taken is around $2,000.

On Aug. 11 at 8 a.m.: A resident of the 100 block of Summit Court reports the theft of a catalytic converter from his vehicle. The theft occurred during the overnight hours between Aug. 10 and 11 while the vehicle was parked on the street. The converter is valued at around 1,000.

On Aug. 11 at 2:01 p.m.: A landscaper, who was working in the 700 block of Harding Street, reported an incident of theft. According to the landscaper, he left a leaf blower and a trimmer on the front lawn while doing landscaping work in the backyard of the home. Shortly thereafter when he returned to the front lawn, he noticed that both landscaping tools were missing. The owner estimated the total value of the stolen items to be $1,100.

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