2 suspects in multiple catalytic converter thefts arrested in Collier County

Two men were arrested Tuesday night as suspects in multiple catalytic converter thefts throughout Collier County.

According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, deputies from the North Naples, Golden Gate and East Naples patrol districts worked together with aviation, drone and K-9 units to arrest Yoan Llorca-Turruelle and Geanny Montada-Acosta, both 39, said to have been trying to steal a catalytic converter. One of the suspects ran and hid from deputies but was captured.

Around 11:45 p.m., deputies on patrol saw a 2017 silver Ford F150 pickup truck pull into the parking lot of Physicians Regional Medical Center – Pine Ridge, located at 6101 Pine Ridge Road in the Vineyards community. The pickup matched the description of a suspect vehicle in recent catalytic converter thefts in Collier County. Montada-Acosta and Llorca-Turruelle were seen exiting the vehicle, with Montada-Acosta acting as a lookout while Lllorca-Turruelle, carrying an electric saw, crawled under a box truck and started cutting off the catalytic converter.

Deputies confronted the pair and Llorca-Turruelle ran away, tossing the saw into the bed of the F150. Montada-Acosta was taken into custody. Deputies surrounded the area, with a CCSO helicopter crew and drone pilot searching the area from the air while a K-9 team searched from the ground. The K-9 team located Lllorca-Turruelle hiding in some thorny undergrowth at the end of a sandy trail near I-75. He was taken into custody.

Llorca-Turruelle and Geanny Montada-Acosta face charges of grand theft $750-$5,000. Llorca-Turruelle also faces a charge of resisting arrest for fleeing from deputies, and CCSO says he was found to have multiple active warrants out of Leon County for burglary and grand theft, warrants on which he can be additionally charged. Montada-Acosta is a registered convicted felon in Collier County.

More charges are possible. Detectives said Llorca-Turruelle and Montada-Acosta are suspects in numerous catalytic converter thefts committed in April and May in Collier and Lee counties.