A Richmond woman was surprised by a "loud and scary" sound coming from the back of her car, just to hear the catalytic converter was stolen.
Richmondite Shashi Goel was getting ready to drive her kids to school when she heard a loud noise, "like the motorbike" upon starting her car.
The noise startled Goel and her kids, and they decided to walk to school instead.
Suspecting it was "a muffler issue," Goel took it to the mechanic, where she was told someone had "taken out the catalytic converter."
Goel said the catalytic converter was "expensive" and as an international student living in Richmond with her family, it was "another additional stress" during rising costs of living.
"It sinks you," she said.
She decided to report it to the police and suspected it could be an issue that affected others in her building, as the underground parking lot had no garage gates and no security cameras.
Richmond RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Dennis Hwang confirmed police have received Goel's report about the stolen part, adding that her parking lot had "minimal security features."
According to Hwang, 172 catalytic converter thefts in Richmond have been reported within just six months in 2022, between June 1 and December 1. Last year, 230 catalytic converters were reported to be stolen within the first nine months.
Hwang said catalytic converter thefts are "a problem across Canada" and they are "very costly to replace."
"Thieves typically crawl underneath the targeted vehicle and use power tools to cut off the catalytic converter," he explained.
"The converters themselves contain precious metals. The converters are then sold to morally-corrupt metal recyclers."
Community members are advised to watch out for anyone seen underneath vehicles, especially those that are "taller in stature, such as trucks, SUVs and vans."
"Listen for any unusual noises and contact police immediately," said Hwang.
Police are currently investigating the possible theft.
