A daytime catalytic converter theft in Mesa, Arizona, turned into a larger property crime case after police found 14 stolen converters in a pickup truck, according to court documents cited by FOX 10 Phoenix.
Police say the case began Tuesday morning when officers responded to a report that a catalytic converter had been cut from a Ford Excursion.
A witness reported seeing three men remove the part, load it into a black Ford Ranger, and leave the area, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. Officers soon spotted the truck on Broadway Road and stopped it at a nearby gas station.
Catalytic converter theft is often associated with vehicles left outside overnight, but police said this theft happened during the day. That is what makes the case useful for anyone who parks in a driveway, apartment lot, workplace lot, or outside a home business.
Police Say The Truck Held 14 Stolen Converters
The driver and owner of the truck complied with officers, but police said William Eugene Lightfoot, 41, and another male suspect ran from the traffic stop.
A search of the truck bed uncovered 14 stolen catalytic converters, according to FOX 10. Inside the pickup, officers also found a reciprocating saw, multiple saw blades, and a black handgun holstered under the driver’s seat.
FOX 10 reported that surveillance video from a nearby business showed a suspect matching Lightfoot’s description walking toward the victim’s vehicle with a reciprocating saw and returning with a catalytic converter.
A Homeowner Report Helped Police Track The Suspect
Police later tracked Lightfoot to a residential area after a homeowner on West Main Street reported seeing a man in the backyard discarding shoes and gloves.
Officers recovered those items, along with a wallet and two credit cards identifying Lightfoot, according to the report.
Lightfoot was found near Dobson Road and University Drive. Police said he resisted arrest by pulling away and failing to follow commands before an officer used a department issued Taser.
The Prevention Steps Are Specific
The National Insurance Crime Bureau has shared catalytic converter theft prevention guidance that includes parking in well lit areas, installing a catalytic converter shield, engraving the vehicle identification number on the converter, using high temperature paint, and adding security cameras.
Those steps cannot guarantee a vehicle will be safe, but they can make the part harder to remove or easier to identify if it is stolen.
Lightfoot was charged with second and third degree burglary, possessing burglary tools, trading used catalytic converters, theft, and resisting arrest. FOX 10 reported that he was being held on a $100,000 bond, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 25.