The Costa Mesa police returned a stolen catalytic converter to an elderly victim and arrested the thief

On August 2nd, members of the Costa Mesa Police Department located a vehicle with a stolen plate driving in the area of Bristol and Anton. A vehicle stop was conducted and the driver was detained.

During the investigation, officers located a floor jack, a cordless saw, and four catalytic converters in the trunk of the car. The driver was arrested for possession of the stolen property.

During the investigation, Officer Santos recalled that a catalytic converter had been reported stolen earlier in the day, so he met with the owner of that car. One of the catalytic converters recovered from the suspect’s car was determined to belong to her vehicle. The stolen part was returned to her, thereby saving her from having to spend over one thousand dollars to replace the converter.

The victim is in her late 70s and was extremely thankful to Officer Santos and the Costa Mesa Police Department for their help. She explained that at her age she still holds a job because of financial necessity, and would not have been able to afford the replacement cost for a new catalytic converter. The victim in this case was so appreciative of Officer Santos recovering her stolen property and the personal attention he showed when he returned it to her.

The Costa Mesa Police Department is proud of the hard work and dedication Officer Santos demonstrated during this investigation by not only making the arrest and recovering stolen property, but also taking the extra time to personally help a community member in her time of need!