WINONA, Minn. –— A fleet thief may be targeting parked cars in shopping mall parking lots and cutting expensive catalytic converters from the undercarriages. A Menards shopper called police that he found fresh crawl marks under his car and suspected the catalytic converted had been stolen. The man had been at Menards about an hour between 4 to 5 p.m. A few hours later a Menards employee coming off shift reported his catalytic converter had been stolen too. Police hoped for clues on store security video.
Exhaust control devices. From 7 to 15 inches long, 5 to 10 pounds. The converters filter dangerous fumes with the rare metal platinum. No questions asked, unscrupulous junk dealers offer $200 to $300 each. Replacements of the legally required devices can cost a car-owner $2,300