UpdatedMon, May 24, 2021 at 3:03 pm ET
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Some websites reveal that recyclers will pay $50 to $200 to legally obtain a faulty converter or one from a junked vehicle. One that works would bring much more. (Shutterstock)
BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD Imagine Roxann Cartwright s surprise when she hopped into her car last week and it suddenly began making a loud racket. The Park View resident knew she needed work done on her brakes but was caught off guard by her exhaust system needing repairs, too.
After she dropped her vehicle off at the mechanic, she received an alarming call 20 minutes later. My catalytic converter had been cut off my car, Cartwright told Patch.
at 4:18 pm
If you own a Toyota Prius or a Honda Element, beware. Catalytic converter theft has shot up more than 3,800% in Seattle and King County over the past year.
Prime targets include the Toyota Prius or a Honda Element.
In 2019, there were 24 reported thefts of catalytic converters in the Seattle area. In 2020, that number jumped up to roughly 950 thefts. That doesnât include the thefts that were not reported to law enforcement.
News stories about catalytic converter theft in the past year focus on one or two people, painting a repetitive image of a disheveled person found with 500 catalytic converters in the back of their truck.
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Federal agents are warning teens not to get involved in drug trafficking after the arrests of two 17-year-old boys Wednesday at the El Paso border.
Both cases occurred at the Paso Del Norte Bridge in Downtown El Paso.
The first teen smuggler bust occurred about 11 a.m. when CBP officers found more than 18 pounds of cocaine in seven packages hidden in the rear seat cushions of a Ford Explorer, officials said.
About 1:30 p.m., CBP officers inspecting a Honda Element found 82 pounds of marijuana in 80 packages in the vehicle s spare tire well and engine compartment, authorities said.
The teens, who are both U.S. citizens, were arrested by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Names were not released.
Car thefts have long been a source of frustration for Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams.
If the department could only convince people to lock their cars and not leave them running and unattended, Williams would say seemingly on a yearly basis, then the city would see a big drop in its crime stats.
These days, however, it s not the cars that many thieves are after just their parts.
Catalytic converters, which are part of a vehicle s exhaust system and contain precious metals, are being stolen from Springfield cars so often that police recently called it an issue of epic proportions.
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