BALTIMORE COUNTY — Imagine starting your car to go to work and you hear a loud rumbling noise coming from it. Then, you look underneath only to see the catalytic converter missing.
It's something that's not so pleasant to wake up to and is occurring more often.
It's a nationwide problem that's happening right here in our own front yard, catalytic converter thefts. Just this week, multiple people have fallen victim to this in Baltimore County.
RELATED: Study shows catalytic converter thefts in Maryland have risen astronomically since 2019
Catalytic converters are a key component of a car's emissions control system that converts engine exhaust pollutants into something less harmful.
The metals they're made of is what's so appealing to thieves, they'll saw them off and take them to scrap yards for big bucks.
Baltimore County resident Toyin Animashaun woke up to this not so pleasant surprise Tuesday on Dunkirk Road.
"I woke up in the morning to get into the truck to go to work and the truck kind of hesitated and when it did start, it was louder than the normal or expected. So I looked underneath the truck and a piece, a section of it was cut out,” said Animashaun.
He got a still image that was taken when it happened. Animashaun says the camera on the front of his house didn't sense motion, but captures images every two minutes.
He says a white truck pulled up around 3:45 a.m., where a picture was taken. In the next image the truck was gone, happening just that fast.
He's not the only one that fell victim this week.
Melanie Bell lives a few blocks away in Rodgers Forge and says the same thing happened to her on the same day.
"My neighbor had actually heard a sawing noise Tuesday morning. She looked out, she couldn't see anything. She heard the sawing and then tires peel away,” said Bell.
Bell didn't realize until Wednesday it was her car the neighbor was talking about.
"Yesterday, when I started my car it sounded like a race car engine, very loud and I knew something wasn't right,” said Bell.
These thieves aren't easy to scare off. The street Bell lives on is very well lit and her car was parked under a street light.
Also this is not a cheap fix, she says the estimate came back today that it will cost around $3,000 to replace.
Baltimore County police say the catalytic converter thefts have increased across the U.S.
They are recommending car owners install an anti-theft device, turn up the sensitivity of the car alarm, and install motion lights around the home.
This is also an issue in the city as well. Baltimore City Council met Thursday and one topic on the agenda was catalytic converters being stolen.
They assigned it to the Public Safety and Government Operations Committee.
