Newcomer to Mission arrested in 4 catalytic converter thefts: RCMP

MISSION – A 42-year-old newcomer to Mission has been arrested after catalytic converters were stolen from four vehicles in Mission last week.

Mission RCMP Corporal Harrison Mohr says the first incident involved a brazen midday theft from a vehicle parked on Horne Street at 2nd Avenue on Wednesday, Sept. 2. He says an alert citizen inside a nearby building observed a man crawling underneath a parked vehicle and immediately suspected he might be stealing the catalytic converter. Police say she was able to film the man as he walked away and contacted police about the matter. Although the video didn’t show a clear image of the suspect’s face, it provided police with other useful descriptors about the man.

A second theft was reported from a parking lot along London Avenue on Friday, September 4. CCTV footage from that incident depicted a man wearing dark clothing manoeuvre underneath a vehicle around 5:30 p.m., and leave moments later. Two more thefts were reported on Sunday, September 6, from vehicles parked on Wren Street and on James Street in Mission. 

Due to the cell phone footage provided by the first witness, Mission RCMP developed a solid suspect description and kept an eye out for the the man throughout the weekend. On Sunday afternoon, Sept. 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.