Santa Barbara, Calif. –  The week of July 13th, there was a rash of thefts of catalytic converters in the Goleta valley. Several of the thefts occurred on Monday night or early Tuesday morning. The thefts were in the following areas; 300-block of Valdez, Armitos at Kellogg, 5200-block of San Simeon, 700-block of Walnut Lane, 6100-block of Stow Canyon, 6200-block of Momouth, 5000-block of Douglas and the 500-block of Amherst. The vehicles that were targeted were Ford trucks, a Chevrolet truck and a Honda Element.  These thefts are similar to thefts that were recently reported by Ventura Police Department and Oxnard Police where Ford F250 trucks and Honda Elements were also targeted.

The theft of catalytic converters is popular because they can be easily removed, they do not have identifying marks like serial numbers, and the components are made up of precious metals that can be resold to recyclers. There are steps that can be taken to thwart these thefts including; parking inside a garage or secured yard, installing motion detector lights near parking areas, installing a catalytic converter protection device, and educating neighbors to be on the look-out for thieves.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is interested in any videos that may have captured these thefts. Additionally, we encourage residents to call dispatch immediately if they see suspicious subjects around or underneath vehicles. Sheriff’s Dispatch can be reached at (805)683-2724 for non-emergency calls, 911 for emergencies, or you can leave an anonymous tip on our website.