West Covina woman chases away catalytic converter thieves

CBS News

31-05-2025

A camera captured the moments a West Covina woman used her metal bat to smash the getaway car for a group of catalytic converter thieves.
The video shows the woman running after the thieves right after they chopped off her catalytic converter. The woman beat the side of the suspects' getaway car as they sped away from her neighborhood early Friday morning.
"They get what they deserve," her friend said. "It's going to come back at them at one point."
You could hear a saw slicing through the metallic part in other security footage.
"It's upsetting, I get that," the woman's friend said. "Those parts aren't cheap. They're expensive."
Some neighbors said their catalytic converters were stolen in the past couple of years. While the raw metal may be worth between $200 and $300, replacing it without help from insurance can cost as much as $4,000.
"It's dumb; they're just lowlifes at that point," the victim's friend said. Just go get a job."