Catalytic converter thieves pull gun on police during chase
Catalytic converter thefts are spiking in Berkeley. We asked an auto shop for its top tips to avoid being targeted.
Police chased an armed catalytic converter theft crew through Berkeley on Thursday morning but lost the culprits in North Oakland, authorities said.
The crew hit several South Berkeley locations before police spotted the group and gave chase, BPD said.
After a slow upward trend this year, Berkeley has seen a sudden uptick in catalytic converter thefts this summer, alarming readers and authorities alike.
These days, crews are often armed, which can lead to tense confrontations with residents.
On Thursday morning, Berkeley police initially got a report of a catalytic converter theft in the 1600 block of Julia Street, near California Street, just before 5:50 a.m.
Minutes later, another resident called about a catalytic converter theft in the 1600 block of Oregon Street nearby.
In that incident, a Scanner reader said he went outside to investigate after his teenager heard a noise out front.
"Three guys had our tenant's Prius jacked up and were in the process of stealing the cat converter," he said. "One brandished a gun, convincing me to retreat indoors."
The resident quickly called police but the group was able to finish the job and flee.
Just a few minutes later, a Berkeley police officer spotted the crew on Stuart Street, near McGee Avenue, stealing something from a third vehicle, police said.
Officers chased the car down California Street, onto Oregon Street and then onto Sacramento Street as the fleeing driver reached speeds of at least 50 mph, police said over the radio.
At one point, BPD said, a member of the crew stuck his hand out the window and pointed a gun at the officer behind him.
The fleeing driver got onto the freeway but quickly exited in Oakland, police said.
Officers lost sight of him around Broadway and 34th Street in North Oakland, according to dispatch traffic reviewed by The Scanner.
The investigation is ongoing.
Catalytic converter thefts in Berkeley are spiking
After months of plummeting catalytic converter thefts in Berkeley last year, a trend that began in September 2022, reports have begun ticking up.
According to preliminary data, BPD had just nine catalytic converter theft reports in December (marking a four-year low) before they began a steady climb, with 14 reports in January, 19 in February, 26 in March and 34 in April.
Reports dipped again in May, to just 13, but jumped to 38 in June, the most recent data available.
Catalytic converter theft reports are still much lower than they were last year through June (with 145 reports compared to 341) — but the recent trend looks to be moving in the wrong direction.
On a single day in early June, for example, Berkeley police got seven catalytic converter theft reports over just a few hours.
Emilie Raguso
Later in the month, on June 21, readers told The Scanner about two catalytic converter thefts or attempts on the same morning, around 5 a.m. in the 1000 block of Sterling Avenue and near Fairlawn Drive and Arcade Avenue about an hour later.
"Was walking my dog - 3 men in a Black Nissan Altima in masks," said a reader near Fairlawn and Arcade. "I did not confront them as recent robberies have shown us these groups carry weapons."
A resident on Sterling Drive told The Scanner that thieves had tried to take a catalytic converter from his neighbor's car that morning.
"We called the police who responded with five units within minutes, but the thieves got away," he said. "It’s almost beyond belief that they were in the same general area an hour later."
Just last week, a man with a gun brandished it at a resident during a catalytic converter theft in the Berkeley Hills.
Police chased that driver but he also got away.
Emilie Raguso
One resident, who has now had his catalytic converter stolen twice, urged The Scanner to call Husteads in North Berkeley, where he'd recently gone for repairs, to learn more about the troubling trend.
"Has some keen insight on how this all works," he said, adding: "BPD confirmed that the rings are operating again."
Reached by phone on Thursday, Sam Dierhka, shop manager at Husteads Auto Body North Berkeley, said catalytic converter theft reports seemed to jump overnight starting five or six weeks ago.
"All of a sudden, kapow, they're coming in one after the other again," Dierhka said. "That went from zero."
In the first week alone, five customers came in for catalytic converter repairs. Since then, they haven't stopped.
Toyota Prius owners as well as Corolla owners have been seeking help, he said, with three Corolla owners coming in just this week.
Emilie Raguso
Auto shop manager: Catalytic converter theft prevention tips
When customers ask him what they can do to reduce the chances of being targeted, Dierhka said he recommends everything from having anti-theft devices installed to buying a protective cover for your car.
At Pele's Muffler Works, near Target, Dierhka said, they install custom-fit plates over the catalytic converter.
Other shops employ a variety of approaches, from barbed wire to rebar, anything to make it harder for thieves to do their work.
All of those approaches can also make it tough for mechanics to make needed repairs, he added, but they do make catalytic converters harder to steal.
Dierhka said Bay Area catalytic converter theft crews often move from neighborhood to neighborhood and city to city, making it tough for police to track them down.
"You're kinda chasing a ghost," he said.
Emilie Raguso
It's also not uncommon for thieves to go back to cars they've hit before, he said. Many customers come in once or twice a year needing help.
"When they cycle back around to your neighborhood, they're going to look at your car again," Dierhka said.
That's why moving the car into a garage or the backyard, or using a car cover, can make a difference.
Still, while all of this can be a deterrent, it's not a guarantee.
"Given enough time, they're getting pretty clever," Dierhka said.
He also advised community members to do what they can to keep an eye on their car when it's parked.
One couple was having dinner on Shattuck Avenue with their Prius parked outside when a crew pulled up, jacked up the car and made off with the catalytic converter, Dierhka said.
"They're outta there in two minutes," he said. "These guys, they're bold. They're brazen. They're not trying to be discreet about what they're doing."
He also reminded people to watch for anything that appears suspicious or doesn't feel right, whether they're trying to avoid auto burglaries, vehicle thefts or catalytic converter thefts.
"People just need to be aware of the world that we're in and use common sense," he said. "If something seems wrong, get out of that situation."
