BEAUMONT, Texas — An illegal trend that law enforcement said began in Houston has made its way to Beaumont, and detectives said it is out of control.
Officials said catalytic converter thefts can happen so fast that a victim will not know until it’s too late. The thefts have even taken place in rural areas such as Newton County.
One Beaumont man was the victim of this crime. He wanted to remain anonymous.
The Beaumont man said it happened in the Pappadeaux's parking lot while he was eating with relatives. He said what started as a family dinner turned into a nightmare.
“We went inside and ate. We were there for like an hour, and when I came outside and started the car, it sounded like a motorcycle,” the victim said.
The man said his converter was stolen in broad daylight. Police said converter thieves like spots near highways, so they can make a quick getaway.
“Then, I talked to a police officer, he came and filed a report afterward and he said within 30 seconds they were in and out,” the victim said.
Officials are encouraging those who see these types of crimes taking place to get a good description, call the police but to not intervene. Law enforcement said those who commit these crimes are often armed and dangerous.
"These guys are out there, and they're not your average everyday criminal,” Southeast Texas Auto Theft Task Force Detective Kane Dean said. “They are carrying guns, and they don't want to get caught."
Detective Dean has been tracking catalytic converter thefts for years, and he said they are not getting any easier to crack down on.
"It's not going away,” Dean said. “It's a constant. There's no rhyme or reason to what they do and how they do it. There's no day of the week that's better than others. It's not a weekend thing. It's not a young thing. It's not an old thing."
Victims are starting to look for ways to keep it from happening again.
“Different types of security devices, whether it be something welded in place on the catalytic converter itself, or some of them are going so far as to use off-road panels to cover the underside of the car, where they can't get to them,” Dean said.
In June of 2021, Gov. Greg Abbot signed House Bill 4410. The bill made it a felony to buy or sell stolen catalytic converters.
Law enforcement said the new legislation has not done much to curb the crime.
"You're cracking down on the buyer, and that makes the seller a little bit more standoffish," Detective Dean said. "I'm not going say it makes them go away."
Until the illegal trend begins to ease, officials are encouraging the community to pay attention to their surroundings.
"Like, you know, what I'm just going to hang by and watch your stuff for you, just because I'm a little more paranoid now of something happening," Detective Dean said. "You can look away for a minute or two and something like that happens."
According to Detective Dean in 2002, there were at least 400 catalytic converter thefts in Beaumont alone.
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