Catalytic converter marking event aims to help law enforcement prosecute thieves

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) -- The Monterey County District Attorney's Office is trying out a new way to prevent catalytic converter thefts in the area.

The D.A. said they're hoping "marking" such converters will act as a way to prevent thieves from ripping them from vehicles on the Central Coast and selling them.

Around 90 cars were marked as part of a "Catalytic Converter Marking" event in Salinas.

The D.A. said this is one of many similar events they hope to hold in the future.

"When catalytic converters are stolen from vehicles, they're not linked to a stolen car," said Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni. "One of the objectives of this particular project is that when catalytic converters are discovered by law enforcement, we'll be able to link them to a victim vehicle and then we'll be able to prosecute."

No specific numbers on catalytic converter thefts were provided, but the D.A. said it's an ongoing problem throughout the Central Coast.

This includes Santa Cruz County, where the sheriff's office received video of a catalytic converter being stolen in broad daylight.

Students from Monterey Peninsula College and Hartnell College are getting a hands-on experience from this marking event, too, as they're the ones marking catalytic converters for concerned people.

"Ideally the manufacturers would do something to better protect catalytic converters from being stolen in their design or manufacturing, or do some kind of identifying information so we don't have to do it on the back-end," said Pacioni.

She said she's reaching out to lawmakers to see if they can persuade car manufacturers to help mark catalytic converters to catch thieves in the future.

Additional catalytic converter marking events are being planned for the near future.