THIEVES TARGET TOYOTAS CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ARE BEING STOLEN FOR THE PRECIOUS METALS.Byline: ALEX DOBUZINSKIS Staff Writer VALENCIA -- A group of thieves has a yen for certain kinds of metal, those found in the catalytic converters on the underbellies of Toyotas. In a crime that often leaves victims scratching their heads, a rash of catalytic converter thefts has hit the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. . The converters contain precious metals Precious Metals Valuable metals such as gold, iridium, palladium, platinum, and silver. Notes: Investing in precious metals can be done either by purchasing the physical asset, or by purchasing futures contracts for the particular metal. , which can net cash for the thieves. There were 15 reported catalytic converter thefts from Nov. 28 to Jan. 8, said Lt. Mike Dunkle of the sheriff's Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, station. Other cities across the country also have had problems with thieves tearing the converters off vehicles. ``I think we were aware of it, but we just hadn't experienced it on a large scale like this,'' Dunkle said. All 15 of the thefts involved pre-1996 Toyotas. It's unclear what there is about the catalytic converters on Toyotas that make them good targets. Derek Fujimoto, 46, had his catalytic converter stolen last Monday, off the 1989 Toyota truck he parked at College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. where he works in the copying and printing office. He started his truck, and it sounded loud, like he was missing a muffler muffler, in automobiles, device designed to reduce the noise from the exhaust of an internal-combustion engine. When the exhaust gases from an internal-combustion engine are released directly into the atmosphere, they create a loud noise, caused by the passage of the . Then he found the catalytic converter had been sawed off. ``I think for me it's something new, as far as on a vehicle to think that someone would steal a catalytic converter off a vehicle,'' Fujimoto said. ``Why wouldn't you just steal the car?'' The precious metals on the catalytic converter for Toyota trucks are from the platinum group The platinum group (alternatively, the platinum group metals or platinum metals) is a collective name sometimes used for six metallic elements clustered together in the periodic table. , according to www.thepartsbin.com. The metals are used to convert harmful air pollutants into compounds that are easier on the environment. The thieves who stole the catalytic converter off Fujimoto's truck appear to have been working fast, perhaps taking just minutes. So John McElwain, a spokesman for College of the Canyons, said more security patrols can only do so much. ``If we're interested in deterrence, then the way to deter it is to have a lot of people aware it's going on,'' he said. ``Have their eyes open when they're in the parking lot.'' Catalytic converter thefts have also happened at Valencia High School Valencia High School may refer to:
alex.dobuzinskis@dailynews.com (661) 257-5253 
A reputable welding and fabrication company in Toledo, OH. has a new patented theft deterrent designed just for catalytic converters . It makes too much work for the thieves in a hurry. The CatClamp is the only security system on the market designed exclusively to fight catalytic converter theft. It was in Newsweek online in January 09, 2008. Go to Catclamp.com the CatClamp is much cheaper than repairing a vehicle after catalytic converter theft. |
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