What Elk Grove police found in vehicle possibly linked to catalytic converter thefts
Officers arrested two people suspected of stealing a catalytic converter from a vehicle in Elk Grove early Thursday after they were found with pipe cutting tools and the valuable auto part, police said.
Amanda Pellerin and Boon Yang were arrested on suspicion of removing vehicle parts and possession of burglary tools, both misdemeanor charges, according to jail custody records. They also were arrested on suspicion of criminal conspiracy, a felony.
About 2 a.m., the officers first spotted the two in a black Nissan Passport, a vehicle known to investigators as possibly related to catalytic converter thefts, the Elk Grove Police Department said in a Facebook post.
The Passport was seen leaving a neighborhood near Franklin Boulevard and Millstone Drive. The officers stopped the vehicle for a vehicle code violation, police said.
Pellerin, 24, was driving the Nissan and Yang, 31, was her passenger. Yang was on probation and had an warrant for his arrest, so the officers searched the vehicle.
The officers found in the vehicle a catalytic converter and pipe-cutting tools, according to police. Investigators later determined the catalytic converter was stolen from a parked vehicle in Elk Grove earlier that morning and contacted the owner.
Catalytic converters, which connect the engine and tailpipe along a vehicle’s undercarriage, are frequently sought by thieves because they contain a precious metal called palladium.
Sacramento and Elk Grove police advise drivers to park vehicles in secure, well-lit areas and inside garages when possible. Police can also engrave a vehicle identification number or license plate number on the converter to help authorities track down stolen property.
Pellerin also faces charges of driving without a valid license and drug possession. Yang also was arrested on suspicion of violating probation. Both were booked at the Sacramento County Jail.
