Bowling Green Police received three reports of catalytic converters being stolen over in the last week.
On Friday (May 22), a resident in the 1000 block of Third Street reported hearing a loud noise from the parking lot around 4 a.m., and seeing a red or orange sedan parked by her vehicle. The sedan left the lot, and the owner of the 2005 Honda CRV found the catalytic converter had been sawed off.
On Saturday (May 23), a resident in the 700 block of High Street said she was awoken around 4 a.m. on Thursday (May 21) to the sound of someone using a saw outside. She looked out the window and saw nothing. When she went to use her 2006 Honda Element on Saturday, she found the catalytic converter was gone. The vehicle was parked on High Street at the time.
And on Sunday (May 24), a resident in the 1000 block of Third Street reported that when he started up his 2003 Honda Element it was extremely loud. A look under the vehicle showed the catalytic converter had been cut off.
Police are checking parking lot cameras in the area.
Honda Elements and older CRVs have reportedly become a recent target for thefts because they sit higher off the ground and are easier for thieves to steal from quickly. Some of the older catalytic converters also have high-value precious metals.
In March, Bowling Green Police responded to four thefts of catalytic converters from older model Prius vehicles. Hybrids reportedly require catalytic converters with a higher concentration of precious metals than those found on gasoline-only cars. The converter from a 2007 Prius can sell for about $1,000. Newer Prius models use a different converter design, which doesn’t sell for as much.
