A man was arrested after a report of catalytic converter thefts in a commercial area of Camarillo April 13.
Deputies with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 500 block of Constitution Avenue shortly after 11:30 p.m. after a witness reported seeing three people stealing catalytic converters in the area, according to sheriff’s Capt. John Hajducko. The area is located near the northwestern corner of Lewis and Pleasant Valley roads.
The sheriff’s office is contracted to provide police services to the city of Camarillo.
Authorities located a van in the area and approached the vehicle. A suspect ran, but the driver of the van, a 25-year-old man, remained in the vehicle, Hadjucko said. Deputies searched the van and reportedly found eight catalytic converters, he added.
A K-9 was called in to search for the suspect who fled but no additional arrests were made as of the morning of April 14. Officials could not confirm whether a third person was involved in the alleged thefts, the captain said.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of felonies for conspiracy to commit a crime, grand theft and misdemeanor possession of burglary tools, jail records show.
The man remains in Ventura County Main Jail and is not eligible for release due to parole violations. He is scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court April 15, according to jail and court records.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: 1 nabbed in alleged Camarillo catalytic converter thefts