BUSTED: Catalytic converter thief commits crime in front of El Segundo cop
Here's a good one:
Parking lots east of Sepulveda Boulevard in El Segundo were hit hard last month by catalytic converter thieves. About a dozen crimes occurred.
So an El Segundo PD patrol officer was watching Monday for a white Dodge truck spotted in a crime that occurred Sunday.
Sure enough, it pulled into a lot in the 2400 block of East El Segundo Boulevard about 11 a.m.
The passenger got out. He was carrying an electric saw and slid underneath a Toyota truck.
"It was one of those rare in-progress deals," El Segundo police Sgt. Dan Kim said. "The officer saw it happening right in front of him."
That guy ran when the officer moved in, but the officer caught the driver, Juan Carlos Calderon, 28, of Los Angeles.
Parking lots east of Sepulveda Boulevard in El Segundo were hit hard last month by catalytic converter thieves. About a dozen crimes occurred.
So an El Segundo PD patrol officer was watching Monday for a white Dodge truck spotted in a crime that occurred Sunday.Sure enough, it pulled into a lot in the 2400 block of East El Segundo Boulevard about 11 a.m.
The passenger got out. He was carrying an electric saw and slid underneath a Toyota truck.
"It was one of those rare in-progress deals," El Segundo police Sgt. Dan Kim said. "The officer saw it happening right in front of him."
That guy ran when the officer moved in, but the officer caught the driver, Juan Carlos Calderon, 28, of Los Angeles.
Police mounted a huge search for the other guy, but he got away.
Calderon was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit grand theft and possession of burglary tools. He was arrested for catalytic converter theft in El Segundo on April 4. He was convicted of possession of burglary tools, and obviously was back on the street.
Detectives are trying to identify the other man. He was described as black, 35 to 40 years old, 5 feet 10 to 6 feet tall, 220 to 230 pounds. He was bald and wearing a gray long sleeve shirt and dark pants.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Phill Stolnack at 310-524-2277.
Thieves target catalytic converters because they contain precious metals. Owners of Toyota trucks and sport utility vehicles have been hit hard.
My story on this will appear on Dailybreeze.com later and Wednesday's print edition
Calderon was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit grand theft and possession of burglary tools. He was arrested for catalytic converter theft in El Segundo on April 4. He was convicted of possession of burglary tools, and obviously was back on the street.
Detectives are trying to identify the other man. He was described as black, 35 to 40 years old, 5 feet 10 to 6 feet tall, 220 to 230 pounds. He was bald and wearing a gray long sleeve shirt and dark pants.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Phill Stolnack at 310-524-2277.
Thieves target catalytic converters because they contain precious metals. Owners of Toyota trucks and sport utility vehicles have been hit hard.
My story on this will appear on Dailybreeze.com later and Wednesday's print edition
About the Blogger
Larry Altman has covered crime in the South Bay since 1990. He's seen it all - the missing model who turned up dead in the desert, the wives found dead in trunks, the high-school coaches who get a little too close to their players. He drives his young colleagues nuts with his "I remember when" stories. He welcomes your tips and observations about the present, and you can mix in a little Lakers basketball talk if you like.
E-mail Larry at larry.altman@dailybreeze.com.
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