Home security cameras in Los Angeles captured three masked suspects stealing a catalytic converter from a parked Toyota Prius in less than four minutes, according to footage recorded by neighbor William Fiero and shared with Eyewitness News.
Caught on camera before dawn
The video shows a white BMW SUV pulling alongside the Prius just before 4 a.m. on Sept. 16. The crew, wearing hooded sweatshirts, used the SUV’s high beams to light the car and worked despite visible security cameras. One suspect checked underneath a second SUV parked behind the Prius before moving on. The group then removed the Prius’s catalytic converter and sped off, with the entire operation taking roughly four minutes, per the footage.
Neighbor: “Who’s getting these catalytic converters?”
Fiero, an electrician who lives across the street, said he previously had his car, its catalytic converter, and a set of power tools stolen two years ago. “It’s funny how the cars start disappearing at the same time these guys find your neighborhood,” Fiero told Eyewitness News. “So it’s first the catalytic converters and then extra parts for other vehicles. So who’s getting these catalytic converters—the recycling plant or the mechanics?”
He added: “They get in there so quick and get out so quick, but the fact that they’re willing to kill for recycling metal, it’s just… they put no value on human life.”
Why the parts are a target
Catalytic converters remain frequent targets because they contain platinum, palladium, and rhodium—precious metals that can be removed quickly and sold for scrap.
Deadly risks highlighted
The risks tied to these thefts have turned deadly before. In May 2024, former “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor was shot and killed in Downtown Los Angeles after he interrupted thieves who were targeting his vehicle’s catalytic converter, according to the same report.
