Armed suspects are stealing catalytic converters in Redwood City and police are raising awareness in hopes of catching the criminals and protecting residents, the department said Thursday.
The same suspects allegedly committed at least 8 catalytic converter thefts on March 21. One of the abductions was captured on private security video and shows a group of three suspects involved in the criminal act, one of whom appears to be armed with an AK-47-style assault rifle, police said.
The suspects are described as three men of an unknown ethnicity. The first was wearing a Bape Brank Shark zip-up sweater, light-colored pants, and dark-colored shoes; the second was armed with an AK-47 and was wearing a light-colored hoodie, while the third subject was wearing a dark-colored hoodie and dark-colored pants.
The suspects' vehicle is a dark-colored 2010 or later Audi with original five-spoke wheels, authorities said.
The Redwood City Police He noted that there have been other recent catalytic converter thefts reported in other Bay Area jurisdictions where the suspects were armed.
In light of this, the local authority is urging the community to be careful if they observe a theft of a catalytic converter in progress, and warning them not to take actions that could endanger themselves or others. Instead, call the police.
Anyone with information on these suspects is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Mark Alifano at (650) 780-7673.
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