A man in North Carolina was killed after deputies say the car he was trying to steal a catalytic converter from crushed him.
Union County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to a home around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday in the 3900 block of West Unionville Indian Trail Road near Monroe after the homeowner found the body of a man under his Toyota Prius.
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Detectives said evidence indicated the man was in the process of cutting off and stealing the catalytic converter prior to his death. At some point during the cutting of the exhaust pipe, the vehicle fell off the automotive jack and on top of the suspect.
Thefts of catalytic converters have risen during the pandemic to the point where law enforcement is offering rewards for tips leading to the arrest of those responsible for serial thefts of the car part with an average price of $800-$1200 dollars.
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On Tuesday police in San Jose, California, announced 15 suspects have been arrested and more than 1,000 catalytic converters have been recovered during a six-month, multi-agency investigation.
The UCSO hopes that the distribution of this information will highlight the dangers associated with theft of motor vehicle parts and will discourage anyone actively involved in this type of criminal activity. "A catalytic converter and the small amount of scrap value it holds is not worth the risk of losing your life," the Union County Sheriff’s Office wrote on its Facebook page.
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The identity of the man killed is not being released at this time due to the ongoing investigation being conducted.