Catalytic Converter Thieves Point Gun At Victim In Palo Alto: Police

PALO ALTO, CA — Thieves attempting to steal a catalytic converter early Tuesday in Palo Alto pointed a gun at the man who tried to stop them and threatened to shoot him, according to police.

In a news release, police said a woman called 911 to report an in-progress armed robbery shortly before 4 a.m. from a home on Louisa Court. The woman told officers she heard a car pull up in front of the home, followed by a sawing noise. She told her father, a man in his 70s, who saw the suspects outside and guessed they were attempting to steal the catalytic converter from their Toyota Prius.

The man confronted the suspects, and one pointed a handgun at him and threatened to shoot several times, while the second suspect continued to saw under the car, police said. The man yelled to his daughter to call 911 and returned indoors shortly before the men fled in a black sedan.

The victim described the suspects as masked muscular men of unknown race and age, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall. Both men were still at large Tuesday afternoon.

Detectives are looking to collect any surveillance from the area that could help identify the suspects or their vehicle. Anyone with information can contact dispatch at 650-329-2413 or leave a voicemail on the tip line at 650-383-8984.

"Catalytic converter theft is a common crime throughout California," police wrote Tuesday. "The state legislature recently enacted laws that went into effect this year that are designed to reduce or eliminate the black market that is the root cause of catalytic converter theft (the reselling of stolen catalytic converters, which contain metal that can fetch a high price."