Two Sacramento men suspected of possessing stolen catalytic converters from vehicles were arrested early today, thanks to an alert resident and a quick response from Roseville police officers.
Police received a call at 3:44 a.m. from a resident in central Roseville who reported two men tampering with a trailer. The suspects drove away without taking anything, according a police statement. The resident provided dispatchers with a description and the direction of travel of the suspects' vehicle.
Minutes after the 911 call was placed, Roseville police stopped the suspects' vehicle on Atkinson Street near Church Street. Inside the vehicle were suspected burglar's tools and five catalytic converters, police report.
Tong Seng Vue, 54, of Sacramento was arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property and conspiracy, and was taken into custody at the Roseville City Jail on $5,000 bail. Kao Lai Saephan, 33, of Sacramento was arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen property, possessing burglar's tools and conspiracy. He also is in custody in the Roseville City Jail on $5,000 bail.
Catalytic converter thefts are increasingly common. The catalytic converter is part of a vehicle's exhaust and emission control system, and is located under the chassis. Thieves steal the converters and sell them to metal recyclers, who mine them for small amounts of precious metals. Once stolen, catalytic converters are difficult to trace back to their rightful owners.
To combat this problem, area residents can have their catalytic converters etched with their vehicle's license plate number at a free Etch 'n' Catch event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 19, at Les Schwab Tire Center, 5610 Pacific St., Rocklin. Pre-registration is required. Call Lynn Harrison of the Placer County Sheriff's Department at (916) 652-2419.
Call The Bee's Lakiesha McGhee, (916) 773-7630.
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