INDIANAPOLIS — A man was caught red-handed stealing catalytic converters from cars in an east Indianapolis lot, and police say he came back for more on the same day.
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Stephen Schauf says he discovered the suspect under one of his vehicles at a storage lot near East 11th Street, actively removing a catalytic converter.
"I get over there, he's back up under there… coming out from under the car with the catalytic converter," Schauf said.
According to court documents, the suspect was first confronted and told to leave, but returned later and allegedly stole four catalytic converters and several sets of tires worth about $2,500.
"I threatened him to say, 'Hey, you need to put that down…' He said some guy dropped him off in a red truck and told him he could get parts off these vehicles," Schauf said.
Investigators say the man was later identified as Michael Gray after photos were taken of him under one of the vehicles during the theft. Court records show there is an active warrant out for his arrest.
For Schauf and the lot's owner, this wasn't an isolated incident. Schauf says he's been noticing thefts at least once or twice a week.
"People don't steal catalytic converters unless they got an outlet to sell them, so somebody's still buying them. So that's the biggest problem. People are still buying them from people that don't have legal documentation of the catalytic converter belonging to them," Schauf said.
The frustration extends beyond just one suspect for Schauf, who says replacing converters can cost hundreds of dollars that people often never recover.
"Well, they need to go out and get a job. Work like I work. Work like they work. These people earn their money to pay for things like that. They take it for granted," Schauf said.
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Adam Schumes is the In Your Community reporter for East Side Indy. He joined WRTV in December of 2021. Adam has a passion for telling stories and giving people a voice they might not have had before. Share your story ideas and important issues with Adam by emailing him at adam.schumes@wrtv.com.
