Rasp
Senior Editor
Coon catalytic converter thieves caught in the act
Suspected Catalytic Converter Thieves Nabbed
Police: Four Caught 'In The Act'
CHICAGO -- Police arrested four people last week after spotting a man with a battery-powered saw under a car in the Lakeview neighborhood.
[Click to enlarge]
Keyshawn Jones, 20, of the 4800 block of West Superior Street, Michael Blissit, 19, of the 5100 block of West Jackson Boulevard, Tiffany Grant, 27, of the 1500 block of North Central Avenue and Robby Owens, of the 1400 block of North Parkside Avenue, were all taken into custody Thursday night in connection with a series of robberies of automobile catalytic converters.
A tactical team from the 23rd Police District responded to a call of suspicious activity in the 600 block of Cornelia Avenue at about 11:25 p.m. Thursday. They claim to have spotted a man under a green Toyota, with another man standing nearby as lookout. Officers say the lookout, Robby Owens, shouted in the direction of the man under the car, Michael Blissit, and the two scattered towards an awaiting Chevy van.
Jones and Grant were inside the van, "acting as additional lookouts," according to a police news release.
All four were placed under arrest and taken into custody.
Investigators discovered that Blissit had been trying to remove the Toyota's catalytic converter, an emissions-control device on the exhaust system of most vehicles.
Police said the catalytic converter is a valuable commodity for thieves who are able to resell the metal device at nearby scrapyards.
All four suspects are scheduled to appear in Felony Court on Jan. 10.
Suspected Catalytic Converter Thieves Nabbed
Police: Four Caught 'In The Act'
CHICAGO -- Police arrested four people last week after spotting a man with a battery-powered saw under a car in the Lakeview neighborhood.
[Click to enlarge]
Keyshawn Jones, 20, of the 4800 block of West Superior Street, Michael Blissit, 19, of the 5100 block of West Jackson Boulevard, Tiffany Grant, 27, of the 1500 block of North Central Avenue and Robby Owens, of the 1400 block of North Parkside Avenue, were all taken into custody Thursday night in connection with a series of robberies of automobile catalytic converters.
A tactical team from the 23rd Police District responded to a call of suspicious activity in the 600 block of Cornelia Avenue at about 11:25 p.m. Thursday. They claim to have spotted a man under a green Toyota, with another man standing nearby as lookout. Officers say the lookout, Robby Owens, shouted in the direction of the man under the car, Michael Blissit, and the two scattered towards an awaiting Chevy van.
Jones and Grant were inside the van, "acting as additional lookouts," according to a police news release.
All four were placed under arrest and taken into custody.
Investigators discovered that Blissit had been trying to remove the Toyota's catalytic converter, an emissions-control device on the exhaust system of most vehicles.
Police said the catalytic converter is a valuable commodity for thieves who are able to resell the metal device at nearby scrapyards.
All four suspects are scheduled to appear in Felony Court on Jan. 10.