Raleigh, N.C. — Dozens of catalytic converters have been stolen from vehicles parked at local repair shops in recent days, police said.
Catalytic converters are part of a vehicle's exhaust system that help reduce harmful emissions.
Foster's Auto Body, located at 7300 Capital Blvd., on Monday reported 13 catalytic converters stolen from vehicles awaiting repair. Other items also were stolen from the shop, police said.
The following day, another 18 catalytic converters were stolen from vehicles at J&J Automotive in the 3800 block of Capital Boulevard, police said. Seventeen of the tampered vehicles belonged to customers, while one belonged to a shop owner.
Some stolen catalytic converters wind up being used on other vehicles, police said. Some are disassembled to recover small quantities of precious metals found inside them, such as platinum, palladium and rhodium.
"They contain some small amounts of relatively rare metals," said Jim Sughrue, spokesman for the Raleigh Police Department. "If they're stolen in quantity and somebody goes that route, there's a few dollars per converter that can be made."
Police said they believe the two thefts to be connected because of the similarity of the crimes and the proximity of the two repair shops that were hit.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Raleigh Police Department’s Detective Division at 919-890-3555 or Crime Stoppers at 919-226-CRIME.



![[READ STORY]](http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/news/national_world/national/2013/05/14/12445890/12446751-1368816960-100x75.jpg)
![[VIEW PAGE]](http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/news/local/2013/05/13/12441232/hahn-100x75.jpg)
![[VIEW PAGE]](http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/traffic/2009/07/23/5645694/beltline-100x75.jpg)
![[GALLERY]](http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/entertainment/2013/03/04/12182235/12182236-1362457268-100x75.jpg)
![[VIEW PAGE]](http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/weather/2010/08/30/8212390/8362364-1286459151-100x75.jpg)
![[VIEW PAGE]](http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/weather/2007/07/30/1649447/1649447-1209833775-100x75.jpg)


WRAL.com welcomes your comments on this story. All comments are moderated prior to publication based on our posting guidelines. Please review them prior to posting and if your message is not approved.
This story is closed for comments. Comments on WRAL.com news stories are accepted and moderated between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.
July 20, 2007 4:51 p.m.
"Hey - Quit driving SUV's and TRUCKS with high ground clearance, and people will stop crawling under them and stealing things!!!
No one is going to crawl under my convertible - Because it's physically impossible!"
Cleanup on Aisle Cool,
I love my celica but I use my truck usually one or twice a week for things you just can't use a car for so this isn't an suv truck thing.
July 20, 2007 4:36 p.m.
I know we are always on the lookout for stolen material, and work closely with the local police to catch as many of them as possible.
July 20, 2007 3:51 p.m.
July 20, 2007 3:36 p.m.
July 20, 2007 3:33 p.m.