Wood County Sheriff Reminds Citizens to Park Cars Indoors, If Possible
OnFocus – A recent string of catalytic converter thefts has led to a statement made by the Wood County Sheriff’s Department.
On Feb. 23, police spoke with a 69-year-old Marshfield man who said someone had cut the catalytic converter out of his truck as it sat in his driveway.
Three days later, a Marshfield resident reported that her vehicle would not start and that she had it towed. When a mechanic checked out what was wrong with the vehicle, they were surprised to see that it was missing a catalytic converter.
“In the last couple years, we have seen an uptick in thefts of catalytic converters,” the post said. “Wisconsin State Statute 943.23 states that whoever intentionally removes a major part of a vehicle without the consent of the owner is guilty of a Class I felony.”
“If possible, try and bring your vehicles into a garage or if you have a vehicle at the end of the driveway bring that close to your residence at night,” the post said. “Avoid posting addresses or locations online when selling your vehicles. Check your vehicles frequently if they are sitting outside on your property and not being used.”
The problem of increasing thefts is not unique to central Wisconsin as Seattle Police showed eight thefts of catalytic converters in 2018 and 738 in 2020.
Scrap prices for the metal inside of a catalytic converter can range anywhere from $50-$500.
If you have any information on potential thefts of catalytic converters or other car parts, be sure to call your local police department.
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