Three Los Angeles men arrested for catalytic converter theft in Oxnard

OXNARD, Calif. - Oxnard police arrested three men from Los Angeles after they were caught attempting to steal catalytic convertors from residents' vehicles.

Police said around 2 a.m. they responded to the 500 block of North Juanita Avenue after a resident who was awake called them.

The resident said they saw suspicious individuals using power tools to cut the underside of their neighbor's parked car.

Upon arriving, officers located and detained three men, all from Los Angeles. Their investigation revealed that the three men had been attempting to cut and steal the catalytic converter from the parked car and had multiple tools in their own vehicle located nearby.

All three men were arrested at the scene for vehicle tampering, possession of burglary tools and conspiracy to commit a crime. They were later booked into the Ventura County Jail.

All three were noted as having previous burglary-related convictions.

The Oxnard Police Department said it has recently experienced an increase in reports of catalytic converter thefts throughout the city. All residents are encouraged to be active members of their neighborhood and report all suspicious activity. If it were not for this alert and concerned resident, these suspects might have gotten away.

Anyone with information regarding this case or other criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Oxnard Police Department at 805-385-7600, or online at www.oxnardpd.org.