String of catalytic converter thefts in Southwest Florida

There have been a string of catalytic converter thefts in Southwest Florida. The most recent target was a nonprofit.

Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore discovered it was the victim of a theft on Friday morning. Apparently, the type of vehicle made it an easy target.

Officials say trucks are easy targets because they offer anyone enough room to crawl underneath them. Someone swiped catalytic converter from trucks earlier this week in Collier County. Now, it has happened in south Fort Myers.

But, this isn’t the first time thieves have targeted a nonprofit. The Saint Vincent DePaul thrift store is missing not one but three of its catalytic converters. They were stolen from all of their trucks.

Thieves take catalytic converters from thrift store trucks in Collier County

Now, it has happened at Habitat. Tammy Moran is the vice president of retail operations for Habitat for Humanity. “Shock and disbelief, even though I have been seeing it in the news until it happens to you. You don’t believe it,” said Moran.

Moran says this is costly. She’s not just talking about the cost of replacing the missing part, though. “We come into work each day to serve the community. What the ReStore is doing with these donations that our ambassadors pick up? If we sell them and 100% of the profits go to affordable housing,” Moran said.

But this is also an expensive car part that is full of valuable metal. Alan Smith explained why catalytic converters are in such high demand.

“There’s precious metal inside the converters that they can sell for scrap that contain palladium, platinum and rhodium. It’s very high per ounce. You don’t get an ounce out of a converter, but it’s valuable metal,” said Smith.

He works on cars and trucks for a living and says that crooks need mere minutes to steal one. “They go underneath and go in with the battery-operated solves all cutting metal. They go in and they slice a slice the front side and rear side with a converter shell is it drops to the ground,” Smith said.

“So, this is not a victimless crime. Everyone in our community is impacted by what these thieves are doing,” said Moran.

Habitat for Humanity said they were able to get their pickups from donors done on Friday. But, the agency will be down a truck for a while.

That makes things more challenging for the nonprofit and for the people it serves.

“I hope they are watching and realize that this impacts everyone in our community. It could be your neighbor, it could be your family. Lee County is in a housing crisis. So it affects the entire community. So shame on you,” Moran said.