Police arrest suspect in catalytic converter thefts

A suspect was arrested today in connection with a number of recent catalytic converter thefts at UCLA, police said in a statement.

Police used evidence from video cameras and patrol observations to locate and apprehend the suspect, according to the statement.

The suspect has also been linked to converter thefts at USC and in other parts of Los Angeles, including Culver City, Marina Del Rey and El Segundo.

Between Aug. 14 and Aug. 31, 25 converters were stolen from vehicles parked at UCLA parking structures, said UCPD crime analyst Kristi Godines.

The converters, which remove impurities from vehicle exhaust fumes, are valued by thieves for their high platinum content.

Converter theft has escalated in cities across the nation in recent years but has only been an issue at UCLA since August, Godines said.