Catalytic converter thieves hit church

By Lacey Beasley

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    MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) — Two people caught on video stealing from a church bus out of Theodore, and investigators say the suspects are looking for catalytic converters and work fast.

Thieves most likely steal these converters because they can resell the metals for hundreds of dollars.

Surveillance video from Midway Missionary Baptist Church showed a car speeding into the parking lot, two people running up to the church van, cutting loose the catalytic converter, and rushing back to the getaway car. One suspect nearly fell down in the process.

This happened September 26. Team Sheriff posted to Facebook Thursday for help identifying the suspected thieves.

But there’s more.

Almost a month later on October 21, another surveillance video from tech store Play and Talk on Airport Boulevard surfaced.

In the video, one man climbed out of a dumpster, while another was underneath the van, allegedly cutting out the converter. Those suspects have already been identified and arrested.

Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran said these robberies are not random. These crooks know exactly what to target.

“The biggest occurrence of the theft are at long-term parking lots,” he said. “Parking lots where you have a fleet of vehicles parked, such as the school system will have several buses, churches may have buses and vans.”

One way to prevent becoming the next victim is to keep vehicles parked in a garage.

If anyone has information on the theft as Midway Missionary Baptist Church, reach out to the Mobile Sheriff’s Department at 251-574-8633 or go to Mobileso.com/crimetips. Tips can remain anonymous.

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