NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. – In video obtained by Local 10 News, a man can be seen dressed all in black. Exactly four minutes later, the man runs away. Seconds later, a second person comes into the frame, lifts his arm and appears to be shooting.
The video matches what Local 10 News was told earlier Friday at the scene. The owner of a demolition and trash hauling company said one of her employees saw someone trying to steal a catalytic converter from a white truck.
The man told his boss he felt threatened as the guy dressed in black was running at him with a saw. So, he shot at him.
It happened early Friday around 5 a.m., police said, at a warehouse district along Northeast 15th Court in unincorporated Miami-Dade.
So why are catalytic converters so desirable to thieves? The car part controls vehicle emissions and is made up of precious metals like platinum and rhodium, which garners quite the cash at scrapyards.
How can you avoid getting yours stolen?
According to Kelley Blue Book, law enforcement experts recommend the following:
- Get your catalytic converter etched. Many police departments and some muffler shops will happily etch your license plate number onto your car’s catalytic converter for free. Thieves have a much harder time selling a converter if it can be tied to a particular theft, making it almost worthless to them.
- Park indoors if possible: What thief would break into a garage when there are easier targets outside?
- Look for cameras: Choose parking garages and parking lots covered by cameras when you need to park the vehicle.
- Park in a well-lighted area: Thieves are less likely to steal where they’re more likely to be seen.
- Consider installing a dash camera. Some dash cams use motion sensors and will record anyone close enough to your car to get to the catalytic converter. The presence of a camera can be enough to scare thieves off to find easier prey.
- Install an anti-theft device. Some car shops offer shields designed to make a catalytic converter harder to remove. We’re aware of no studies on how well these devices work, but it seems logical that thieves might move on to cars without them.