Catalytic converter thief caught after four thefts in a week

September 9, 2026 - Mission, British Columbia
From: Mission RCMP

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A 42-year-old man was arrested after catalytic converters were stolen from four vehicles in Mission last week.

The first incident was a brazen mid-day theft from a vehicle parked on Horne Street at 2nd Avenue on September 2nd.  An astute citizen inside a building nearby noticed a man crawling underneath a parked vehicle, and immediately guessed that he was stealing the catalytic converter.  She was able to film the man as he walked away, and notified police about the matter. While the video did not show a clear image of the suspect’s face, it did provide other useful descriptors for the man. Another theft was reported from a parking lot along London Avenue, on September 4.  CCTV footage from that incident showed a man wearing dark clothing get underneath a vehicle around 5:30 pm, and depart moments later.  Two more thefts were reported on September 6, from vehicles parked on Wren Street and on James Street. 

Thanks to the cell phone footage provided by the first witness, Mission RCMP had a solid suspect description, and kept a lookout for the man throughout the weekend.  On the afternoon of September 6, a member of Mission RCMP’s Crime Reduction Unit on patrol in the area of Haig Street and Logan Avenue located a man matching the description of the suspect.  The man was arrested, and a catalytic converter and a battery-powered cutting saw were found in his bag.  The man, who cannot be named as charges have not yet been laid, is from Alberta and is a newcomer to Mission.  Investigators are continuing to gather additional statements and CCTV footage, and multiple charges against the 42-year-old are expected.  Of note, all four vehicles targeted were Mitsubishis.

Mission RCMP highlight this as a good example of the community and police working together to solve crime: the cell phone footage from the first witness helped to provide a suspect description; CCTV footage from the second incident provided further information about the man; and the prompt reporting from the third and fourth witnesses helped police to narrow their search area for the man. Anyone else who has recently had their catalytic converter stolen and not yet reported it to police, is encouraged to call Mission RCMP, file 2026-11844.

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