ROCHESTER, Minn. – Two Twin Cites men were charged with a raid on Rochester to steal catalytic converters from the undercarriage of parked cars. Nay Thar of St. Paul, 36, and David Htoo, 24, of North St. Paul, were stopped last February with five cut-off converters in their vehicle, police said. The charges were filed belatedly. Also in the vehicle: A reciprocating saw, a floor jack, and 13 Sawsall blades. Police had been tipped by a 911 call from a witness to an attempted converter theft. The criminal complaint quoted Thar and Htoo that they planned to sell the converters to a fence in The Cities for $200 to $300 each. Typical costs to a car-owner for to replace a converter is $2,300.
