MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A 36-year-old man has been arrested after he was shot while trying to steal a catalytic converter from a truck in northeast Miami-Dade, authorities said.
Craig Antron Pearson was taken into custody Friday, shortly after the incident occurred.
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According to his arrest report, surveillance video shows Pearson cutting the catalytic converter of a white 2005 Dodge pickup truck just before 5 a.m. Friday in a warehouse area at 20056 NE 15th Court.
The owner of a demolition and trash hauling company told Local 10 News reporter Parker Branton that one of her employees saw the suspect trying to steal the catalytic converter from their truck.
She said her employee told her the suspect ran towards him with a saw, so the employee shot at the suspect and the suspect ran off.
According to the police report, Pearson was shot in the wrist, at which time he dropped the catalytic converter and ran off.
Miami-Dade police said he left his stolen getaway vehicle behind, which they found a woman sitting in.
Police said the woman, identified as Jessica Roberts, told them Pearson had been driving the stolen car and said that after he was shot, he had ran to a house where they were staying.
Officers found Pearson at the home, and said he admitted to being at the scene of the shooting, but denied having any involvement in the attempted theft.
Pearson was taken to Aventura Hospital and Medical Center for treatment before being booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
He is being held on charges of criminal mischief, grand theft of a vehicle, grand theft of vehicle parts and possession of crack cocaine with the intent to sell.
How can you avoid getting your catalytic converter 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.