Man killed while trying to steal catalytic converter, deputies say
MONROE, N.C. - A man was killed after investigators said he was crushed by the very car from which he was trying to cut a catalytic converter.
It happened Wednesday in the driveway of a home in the 3900 block of West Unionville Indian Trail Road near Monroe, North Carolina. Union County Sheriff’s deputies were called out to the home around 5:45 p.m. after the homeowner found the body of a man under his Toyota Prius.
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Detectives said the man appeared to be in the middle of cutting off the exhaust pipe to get to the catalytic converter when the jack slipped, bringing the car down on the man, killing him.
The owner of the Prius was not at home at the time.
"A catalytic converter and the small amount of scrap value it holds is not worth the risk of losing your life," the Union County Sheriff’s Office wrote on its Facebook page.
Catalytic converter thefts have been on the rise during the coronavirus pandemic with several law enforcement agencies even offering rewards leading to the arrest and indictment of those involved in several series of thefts.
Deputies said the man, whose name was not officially released, was reported missing earlier in the day by his wife.
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