Rash of catalytic converter thefts hit Del Paso Manor neighborhood

When Aaron Hecock slid behind the steering wheel of his 1999 Toyota truck and turned the key, he knew painfully what was wrong.

"It sounded like a jet taking off," Hecock said, knowing that the catalytic converter had been cut off from his muffler while the truck sat in the driveway of his Lasuen Drive home.

"I knew immediately what had happened," Hecock said.

He said he had been told earlier by his letter carrier that there had been a rash of catalytic converter thefts in his Del Paso Manor neighborhood. Hecock's repair and replacement cost was $1,900.

According to Sacramento County sheriff's deputy reports from December 2006 to April 14, there were 14 reported catalytic converter thefts in Hecock's neighborhood.

Of those, eight thefts were reported between April 6 and April 14, the day Hecock became a victim.

Members of the Del Paso Home Owners Association are so alarmed over the thefts that they met last week to discuss the crimes.

Many homes in the older neighborhood near Watt and El Camino avenues have only one-car garages, forcing residents to leave their cars in the driveway or on the street.

"Some people are calling for hiring off-duty deputies, but I don't think that is a good idea because we are already paying for the sheriff to patrol our streets," said Trish Harrington, a leading member of the homeowners association.

Sheriff's deputies report that theft crimes are on the increase everywhere, not just in the Del Paso Manor area.

Law enforcement officials attribute the rise to a combination of an increase in the recycle cost of certain metals and a struggling economy that is encouraging thieves to be more creative and bold.

Across the country, law enforcement officials are describing the theft of catalytic converters as an "epidemic" due to the price of platinum, one of the metals in converters.

Cindy Burdette, a sheriff's crime prevention specialist, said there are things people can do things to make it harder on the bad guys.

"I tell people to engrave their driver's license numbers on their catalytic converters so that they are identifiable," Burdette said.

An engraved converter can then be used to link a thief with a reported theft, she said.

Burdette also encourages people to park their cars in their garage. For further crime prevention tips, call (916) 876-7517.

Thieves can get $50 from a single converter from a scrap-metal dealer. Depending upon the damage done during a converter's theft, replacement costs can be well over $1,000.

Toyota 4Runners like Hecock's are particular targets because of their high ground clearance.

After Hecock's theft, he hoisted a sign in his front yard condemning the thief.

"You can't print what I wrote in a family newspaper," Hecock said.

The sign didn't stay up long before it was turned into an impromptu anti-theft device Hecock built. Using three-quarter-inch-thick plywood, Hecock built a box bolted on a sheet of plywood that he parks over to prevent access to the underside of his truck.

"The weight of the truck keeps the box from being moved. The wood cost about $40. It took a couple of hours to make. It wasn't my idea. It was a friend's idea. I just drew something up," said Hecock, who is an urban planner.

Hecock said the theft took place around 3:30 a.m. and he was awakened by the truck's burglar alarm.

"I ran out and didn't see anything. I figured a cat got on my roof. He must have been hiding in the bushes," Hecock said of the thief.

Days after the repairs were complete, he said, he couldn't sleep.

"I was getting up four times a night. Every little sound had me constantly getting up," he said.

Hecock finds the theft troubling.

"It is really frustrating. You go to work to make an honest living and at no fault of your own this happens. You have other things to spend your time and money on," he said.

Hecock, who has lived in his home since October, said this is the second time he has been a victim of a crime.

"I had my bicycle stolen once when I was in grad school," he said.

When he took the truck to be repaired at a local dealership, service representatives told him it was a common problem.

"They asked me if it was the first time for me," he said.

"I paid it off last year. I kind of wanted to enjoy having no payments. I wish I had a two car-garage. If it happens again, I will be getting rid of the truck," Hecock said.

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