Four Arrested After Theft of Over 100 Catalytic Converters in CTX

Four people were in the McLennan County Jail Tuesday after police say they stole as many as 150 catalytic converters from vehicles at local businesses and used a stolen ID card to exchange them for cash.

Our partners at News 10 report that David Guyton, 38, Joseph Saulters, 41, Justine Salva, 35, and Tamara Robinson, 41 are believed to have stolen the auto parts from businesses in Waco and the surrounding area, and that they could have made as much as $100 for each of the 100 to 150 parts they allegedly stole.

According to the News 10 report, damages and replacement costs totaled around $200,000. The parts contain precious metals like platinum, palladium, and rhodium.

The suspects face charges including:

• Engaging in organized crime
• Burglary of a habitation
• Theft
• Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle
• Fraudulent use of identifying information
• Burglary of a coin operated machine

...and the list just goes on. You can see all the charges here.

According to police, the thefts having been happening since at least spring of this year. So, not only were the targeted business struggling with the pandemic's impact on the economy, but with having to replace parts yanked from their vehicles by thieves.