DETROIT (WWJ) – Police in Detroit are asking for the public’s help in tracking down a pair of men they say shot at somebody while trying to steal a catalytic converter.
The scene unfolded around 5 a.m. on Tuesday in the area of 1500 Larned in downtown Detroit, when the two suspects were confronted while trying to steal a catalytic converter from a car.
Police say during that confrontation, both suspects fired multiple shots at the victim, before fleeing the scene in a Jeep, heading towards Lafayette Street on Orleans Street.
The attempted theft came just two days after the same men allegedly stole a catalytic converter around 5:30 a.m. in the area of Greenfield Avenue and Schoolcraft Street on the city’s west side.
Police say the suspects used a reciprocating saw to steal the catalytic converter and believe both incidents are connected.
Catalytic converters are popular targets for thieves because they contain small amounts of rare and precious metals, including platinum. Officials say these thefts often occur in the middle of the night and can go undetected until the vehicle is started in the morning.
Police are asking for the public’s help in finding the suspects, who are described only as males who were wearing masks.
Authorities released surveillance images of the suspects and the vehicle, a two-tone, older-model Jeep Cherokee with gray and black doors and a sheriff’s sticker on the lower driver’s side of the rear windshield.
The Jeep doesn’t have a license plate, police said.
Authorities are asking anyone with any information pertaining to these crimes call the Detroit Police Department’s Second Precinct at 313-596-5240 or Crimes Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up.
The attempted theft and shooting on Tuesday came the same day the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services issued a warning to Michiganders about a spike in catalytic converter thefts across the country.
DIFS officials provided a handful of tips for drivers to protect their vehicles, as catalytic converter thefts increased by more than 10 times over the last two years, with about 14,400 reported in 2020 alone.
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