2 Catalytic Converters Stolen From Westfield Vehicles, Police Say

WESTFIELD, NJ - Catalytic converter thefts continue to be reported in Westfield after a pair of the expensive car parts were stolen last week, police say.

A pair of catalytic converter thefts were reported in the early morning hours of Feb. 7, Westfield police said in a blotter statement.

In one incident, a resident from the 300 block of South Scotch Plains Avenue reported that she was awoken around 3 a.m. by a metal grinding sound and observed a white sedan parked next to her vehicle, police said.

A man about 6 feet tall wearing a dark jacket and a dark coat reportedly entered into the white sedan and left heading towards South Scotch Plains Avenue, with her vehicle’s converter missing, police said.

Roughly 30 minutes later, a resident on the 500 block of First Street reported an unknown suspect lifting a catalytic converter from his vehicle while it was parked on the street in front of his home, police said. The estimated value of the stolen catalytic converter is $1,200.00.

A catalytic converter is found in a car's undercarriage and is designed to reduce the pollutants and toxic gasses the engine produces. They are made out of precious metals, including platinum, and can be resold at a very high mark-up on the black market.

The thefts of catalytic converters have been a recurring issue in Westfield and other nearby municipalities in Union County. In January, a Cardinal Drive business reported that two cars on the property had their catalytic converters stolen by unknown suspects, according to police.