HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC)–Central Virginia has seen a string of catalytic converter thefts, but the latest incidents were reported at the Amtrak Richmond Staples Mill Station in Henrico County.
Henrico County police told 8News multiple reports were filed for stolen catalytic converters from the weekend.
Arnold Sullivan returned to Virginia from New York on Sunday night around 7:30. He said he was one of the victims.
“As soon as I applied pressure to the gas, it revved up louder than anything I’ve ever heard before,” Sullivan said.
When his car made a loud noise, the station’s security personnel approached him in the parking lot and said more cars were hit, according to Sullivan.
He put a shield on his converter to protect it. The shield and its installation costs him $250, but the thief cut through it and stole it.
“The police said that it takes about two minutes for an average car to have it stolen,” he said. “I’m not sure how much longer mine took, but it didn’t take long enough for them to stop it.”
Sullivan called three local mechanics for a new part, but he had to order a new part from Maine. The damage from the theft is costing him nearly $2,000.
He drives a Prius which is a car that’s often targeted by thieves.
The hybrid converters typically have less wear and tear, emit cleaner emissions and are more valuable, said Sullivan.
“Makes me wonder if it’s worth it to continue driving a Prius because what if this continues to happen two or three more times? I could be out of the value of my car,” he said.
8News has been tracking these types of thefts closely in our area.
- Henrico County Police said as of June 30, 2022: 490 thefts were reported. Last year, there were a total of 779 thefts reported.
- In Richmond, police said as of June 13, 2022: 314 thefts were reported. Last year, there were a total of 541 thefts reported.
- Chesterfield police said as of July 31, 2022: 190 thefts were reported. Last year during the same period, there were 149 thefts.
8News contacted Amtrak about surveillance cameras in the parking lot. Kimberly Woods, with Amtrak’s media relations, directed us to Henrico police for questions. We have not yet received a response about surveillance cameras.
