Guilford police have arrested a man accused of stealing a distinct part from several cars.
“Somebody who knows what they’re doing, 30 seconds they’ve got that catalytic converter,” Deputy Chief Butch Hyatt said of the part of the exhaust system that reduces carbon emissions and noise.
There have been a couple dozen recent cases of catalytic converters being stolen from cars parked at commuter and train lots along the shoreline, Hyatt told NBC Connecticut. The thieves, he said, stand to make a few hundred bucks from a scrap dealer.
“It costs other than the inconvenience to the victims that are out there with the cars,” Hyatt said, “We’re talking a thousand to $2,000 to replace those catalytic converters on those cars.”
The thieves tend to target bigger cars, police said, like the SUV Kevin Crosby from Thomaston drives.
“I can crawl under there no problem,” Crosby said.
While working on a job in Guilford, Crosby parks his car at commuter lot near I-95.
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“I’ve seen the cars on cinderblocks with tires gone,” he told NBC Connecticut, “I’ve never heard of the catalytic converter getting ripped off.”
Late Monday morning, Guilford Police arrested 29-year-old Jeremy Ghiroli of Branford. They say they caught him at the commuter lot trying to hide four catalytic converters in his car.
Two of the four have been returned to their owners who had parked their cars at the Madison train station, police said.
“I’d like to say that we probably put a good dent in the ones that were happening on the shoreline now with this arrest,” Hyatt said. “We think that (Ghiroli’s) involved in dozens and dozens of those up and down the shoreline but there’s always somebody else out there.”
Police want people parking shoreline commuter and train lots to remain vigilant.
“If I saw some random guy crawl under a car that’s the first thing I’ll do is call the police,” Crosby said.
If you’ve had a catalytic converter stolen from your car, police would like to hear from you.
Ghiroli is charged with sixth degree larceny in Guilford and criminal mischief in Madison. He was released on a promise to appear in court next month after his arraignment Tuesday in New Haven.
