Gun brandished during catalytic converter theft attempt
There were also reports that they pushed a garbage bin into the man, denting his car, where his 2-year-old grandson was sitting.
Men in ski masks brandished a gun at a Berkeley Hills resident who interrupted a catalytic converter theft Wednesday, authorities report.
That morning, police initially responded to Hilgard Avenue, west of Scenic Avenue, just after 7:40 for a catalytic converter theft, Berkeley police said in response to a Scanner inquiry.
Two people in a black sedan had fled from the block after stealing a catalytic converter from a parked Prius, BPD said.
While officers were investigating that incident, they got a report of a catalytic converter theft attempt about 1.5 miles away, near Avenida Drive and Fairlawn Drive, police said.
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At about 7:45 a.m., a community member had seen men casing a neighbor's vehicle and went outside to interrupt the crime, according to BPD.
As the men drove by him in a black sedan, one of the occupants waved a gun at him before leaving the area, police said.
There were also reports that they pushed a garbage bin into the man, causing him to stumble and also denting his car, where his 2-year-old grandson was sitting.
BPD later determined that the black getaway car had been reported stolen.
The men were described as 20-30 years old with medium builds, wearing black clothing and ski masks.
There have been more than 90 catalytic converter thefts in Berkeley this year, which is down from recent years but still above pre-pandemic averages, according to BPD data.
