Early Wednesday morning, a resident of West Miami-Dade County experienced a harrowing encounter with would-be thieves that underscores the rise in catalytic converter thefts. This is one of the most overlooked crimes that grew in frequency during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fortunately, the victim was armed and was able to fight off a pair of thieves trying to steal the catalytic converter from his vehicle. Here’s how the confrontation went down:
Miami-Dade Police Det. Andre Martin said a resident was in his home when he heard power tools in the parking lot.
The resident saw two people under his vehicle trying to remove the catalytic converter, so he armed himself and confronted the suspects, Martin said.
“When I went out to walk my dog at 4:45, I hear power tools going off and I go ‘what the hell is going on?’ I lean over my balcony and I see two guys underneath my truck working to…
