Bayside Thief Runs Off With Parked Car's Catalytic Converter: Police

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — The NYPD’s 111th Precinct is seeking public assistance in identifying a man wanted in connection with grand larceny from April 30.

Around 4:15 a.m., a witness watched the suspect steal a catalytic converter from a 2006 Honda CRV between 35th Avenue and 201st Street, police said.

A catalytic converter is an emissions control device that converts toxic pollutants in exhaust gas to less toxic pollutants, usually used with internal combustion engines.

Catalytic converters are made mostly of precious metal, such as platinum, palladium and rhodium. Up to 3 to 7 grams of platinum group metals are in a standard catalytic converter and, in theory, platinum is more expensive than gold because it is rarer and mined less frequently — only 160 tons of platinum are mined each year as opposed to 1,500 tons of gold. Platinum is also more dense than gold.

According to police, the suspect fled the location in a darkly colored Honda Pilot.

The precinct’s request for public assistance went out Aug. 4. It is unknown as to why the the notice went out almost four months after the incident occurred. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Det. James Phillips at (718) 279-5289 or Detective Borough Queens North at (718) 520-9200.

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