Thieves stealing catalytic converters from vehicles in The Villages

Catalytic converters are being stolen from vehicles in The Villages and law enforcement is urging residents to keep an eye out.

“It takes two minutes to steal a catalytic converter,” said Lt. Robert Siemer, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office district commander for The Villages.

He said if you see someone “suspiciously” crawling under a vehicle, you should immediately report it to the sheriff’s office

“If you see something, say something, as Sheriff Farmer always says,” Siemer said.

Last week thieves hit a storage facility and stole catalytic converters, he said. It’s been a problem throughout Florida and the rest of the nation.

The catalytic converters are especially enticing to thieves because of the precious metals they contain – platinum, palladium and rhodium. The price per ounce of platinum is currently around $1,200.