Catalytic Converters Stolen, Car Windows Smashed in Arlington

ARLINGTON, VA — Catalytic converters were stolen from three cars Tuesday night in an area along South Walter Reed Drive in Arlington, according to the Arlington County Police Department.

One of the cars was stolen and was later found nearby with its front passenger window broken and its catalytic converter stolen. All three cars were a Toyota Prius.

In recent years, police have seen a significant increase in the theft of catalytic converters as thieves seek to make money off selling them to recycling facilities.

Prices have increased for metals like platinum, rhodium, palladium and others, due to lower mining production. Hybrid vehicles like a Toyota Prius need more of these metals for their catalytic converters to function properly, according to 2021 report by the Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The thieves sell the stolen catalytic converter to scrapyards for anywhere from $50 to $300.

At about 5:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Arlington County police were dispatched to the report of a stolen car in the 1400 block of S. Walter Reed Drive. Upon arrival, it was determined that between approximately 7 p.m. on Tuesday and 5:45 a.m. on Wednesday, suspects stole the victim’s car.

The Toyota Prius was later found a couple blocks to the east in the 1600 block of S. Edgewood Street with a broken front passenger window and a stolen catalytic converter.

During their investigation, police learned that thieves smashed the front windows of two other cars in the same area and stole their catalytic converters.

The police do not have any suspects in the thefts. Police suggest parking in well-lit areas to avoid becoming the victim of a catalytic converter theft.

Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to contact the Police Department's Tip Line at 703-228-4180 or ACPDTipline@arlingtonva.us, or anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).