Issaquah Police are hoping you can help identify a person of interest in several recent catalytic converter thefts.
Around 2:30 PM on October 4th, a thief removed catalytic converters from three vehicles—a Lincoln Mark VII, Subaru Outback, and Toyota Prius—in a parking garage near 220thAvenue Southeast and Southeast 51st Street, which is used by employees of several large businesses in the area.
A witness later spotted a man walking near the garage, carrying a large, heavy bag.
IPD investigators are now trying to identify the man and are hoping someone in the community may recognize him.
Catalytic converter thefts have spiked in the Puget Sound region over the last year and a half. Brazen thieves crawl under hybrid vehicles and saw catalytic converters off the vehicles. Thieves later sell the converters, and the valuable metals inside, for scrap.
You can help make your vehicle a less appealing target for thieves by parking in well-lit areas, secure locations, engraving your vehicle’s VIN number on your catalytic converter, or obtaining after-market anti-theft devices.
If you recognize the man in the photos—who investigators are only identifying as a person of interest currently—or have any other information about catalytic converter theft in Issaquah, please contact our tip line at 425-837-3210. Anonymous tips are welcome.