3 Juveniles Arrested, Found With Nearly A Dozen Catalytic Converters Stolen From Throughout Ventura
VENTURA (CBSLA) — Three juveniles were arrested early Tuesday morning on suspicion of stealing nearly a dozen catalytic converters in the Ventura area.
The boys, who were not identified due to their ages, are from Los Angeles and booked into juvenile hall on several charges, including grand theft, vandalism, and possession of stolen property.
Ventura police say an alert residence called 911 after witnessing the theft of a neighbor's catalytic converter in the 2500 block of Harbor Boulevard. The neighbor gave police a description of the vehicle, and a patrol sergeant spotted the suspects, catching them in the act of stealing another catalytic converter in the Portside Ventura Harbor neighborhood, police said.
The boys tried to speed off, but after a short pursuit, crashed when they failed to negotiate a turn onto Seaward Avenue, according to Ventura police. All three were taken into custody and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries they sustained in the crash.
Police say 11 catalytic converters, all of which appear to have been taken from a Toyota Prius, were found in the boys' possession, along with car jacks and burglary tools used to remove car parts. Three of the owners have been identified, but investigators are processing the evidence and working to return the rest of the catalytic converters to their owners.
Anyone with information about this crime or has recently had their catalytic converter stolen can call Detective Karl Reyes at (805) 339-4476.