A West Island woman says someone stole a catalytic converter from her vehicle last weekend.
Mahitab El Sakka said she realized something was wrong when she tried to start her car on Monday morning. It was parked in her apartment building’s parking lot on Sunnybrooke in Dollard-des-Ormeaux.
“I freaked out.”
According to Rick Pavlopoulos, a manager at Gordons mechanic and tire shop, the converter is part of a car’s exhaust system which is used to reduces emissions and makes the vehicle run more smoothly.
He told Global News that certain vehicles are usually targeted.
El Sakka agrees her car was singled out — she drives a Honda Element.
Pavlopoulos said he isn’t surprised by the thefts because, he explained, there’s a hot market for the converters. He pointed out that they are easy to sell due to the metals they contain.
He added that there’s also a large profit.
“Thieves can sell them to buyers for about $200 and then they’ll turn around and sell them seven, eight, $900, even $1,000 each.”
Now El Sakka, a single mother who just got a new job, says she has to find $5,000 to replace not one, but two catalytic converters.
One was also stolen from her dad’s Honda Element the day before, which was parked in the same lot.
“Poor him,” she said shaking her head. “He was frustrated.”
She doubts that her insurance will cover the theft.
Pavlopoulos said there isn’t too much people can do the prevent such incidents.
“There’s metal plates that you can have installed, but these are all expensive add-ons,” he explained.
Police in Edmonton, where there have been several thefts, advise car owners to make sure the parking lot they use is well-lit and has camera surveillance, especially if drivers can’t park indoors.
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