Suspected Catalytic Converter Thief Found With Stolen Car: Police

CLAREMONT, CA — A 40-year-old man was arrested Friday after the Claremont Police Department said he was caught trying to steal a catalytic converter.

The man was arrested on suspicion of auto tampering, grand theft auto, possession of a stolen vehicle, driving a motor vehicle with a suspended license and being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition. The man's name has not been released, and he remains in custody.

The attempted theft reportedly happened Friday, around 8 a.m., near Bonita and Mountain avenues, after a witness spotted a man underneath a car trying to steal the auto part, police said. The witness confronted the man, but he fled from the area in a green Honda Civic.

Police were able to locate the car and discovered it had been stolen. Officers also found the man had a pellet gun that was made to look like a firearm, according to Claremont police.