Thieves ransacked the East Bay Apartments in Daphne last night, and they got away with a valuable commodity. The thieves got under cars, stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of catalytic converters. A key sign that your catalytic converter may have been stolen is if your car is making a very loud rattling noise.
In the early morning hours thieves stealthily crawling under this van with a saw, turning on their flashlights to look for one of the most expensive parts any vehicle can have: the catalytic converter. The part that filters out harmful emissions. They can be stolen in less than 2 minutes and that's what several vehicle owners at the east bay apartments in Daphne woke up to this morning.
"We got a couple of calls and of course the officers went out and started looking around seeing what they could find. We had a few late morning calls as well maybe late sleepers or people that didn't have to get up early for work and they came out and said we have a little bit of a problem," Heather DeAngelo with the Daphne Police.
According to AutoZone a replacement for a catalytic converter can cost anywhere from $300 - $2,500. Add on labor costs, which could be between $70 - $130 per hour, plus how long it takes the mechanic to reattach it. You're looking at spending more than a pretty penny and the thieves get off with a nice amount.
"It's the price per ounce of the metal of the that they get from it," says DeAngelo.
According to police that can go from $1,000 – $1,500 per ounce. Police say because it's illegal in Alabama the thieves may be selling them out of state.
"There is a felony charge in the state of Alabama that they can be charged with it if they are caught not with it attached to a vehicle."
They say more missing catalytic converters could turn up soon.
"We are anticipating more calls as people get up and get out and about- maybe people who work nights they haven't gotten to their car today."
Daphne PD says if you get in your car and notice that something is wrong, give the police department a call.