Thieves Target Catalytic Converters, Airbags In Falls Church

FALLS CHURCH, VA — Police are seeing a significant increase in the theft of catalytic converters as thieves seek to make money off selling them to recycling facilities. The theft of airbags from cars also remains a concern for police departments.

In its latest crime report, the Falls Church Police Department reported three more thefts of catalytic converters from cars. In all three cases, the catalytic converter was stolen from a Toyota Prius.

Prices have increased for metals like platinum, rhodium, palladium and others, due to lower mining production in recent years. Hybrid vehicles like a 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.

One catalytic converter was taken from a Toyota Prius in Falls Church between 10:30 p.m. on March 15 and 9:30 a.m. on March 16 on W. Broad Street. Another catalytic converter was taken from a Prius between 10:30 p.m. on March 15 and 2:15 p.m. on March 16 on Roosevelt Blvd.

The third catalytic converter was stolen from a Prius between 6 p.m. on March 17 and 2 p.m. on March 18 on Jackson St.

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.

Over the past week, several airbags also were stolen from vehicles in Falls Church. Officials say airbags are easy targets because they can be stolen quickly. And then they can be sold on the black market for $200.

Between 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. on March 14, a suspect broke the window of a Honda Civic parked on S. Washington St. and removed the steering wheel’s airbag.

On the night of March 16 and the morning of March 17, suspects broke into several vehicles parked on Roosevelt Blvd. and stole airbags, according to police.

Anyone with information about the theft of the catalytic converters and airbags can contact the Falls Church Police Department's non-emergency line at 703-248-5053.