After several car part thefts, Wright State University police sent out a campus wide email notification regarding the thefts to the campus community.
College Park cars targeted
On Aug. 30, a catalytic converter and 02 sensor were cut off of a vehicle and stolen in a parking lot near 2160 College Park.
There were no cameras and no witnesses. The resulting damages totaled $1,700, as a whole new exhaust system was recommended to repair the vehicle.
On Aug. 31, another catalytic converter was stolen from a car in a parking lot outside 2120 College Park. The damages amounted to around $1904.
Honors Dorms Parking Lot
On Sept. 3, one more catalytic converter was stolen from a vehicle parked in the Honors Dorms Parking Lot; the vehicle was parked in a handicap parking space near the front of the Honors building.
The damage for this theft was quoted as $600-1,600. This parking lot has closed-circuit TV cameras to cover the area, according to police reports.
All three of the vehicles involved in the incidents were Hondas. The thefts likely occurred late at night or very early in the morning according to reports.
At least one of the cars had to be jacked up for the catalytic converter to be removed from the vehicle, according to police reports.
Students should report any unusual activity around vehicles during these hours especially
A catalytic converter can cost anywhere between $350-1,500 and varies between each specific repair or replacement and different vehicle models.
The catalytic converters are expensive because of the precious metals they contain, according to John Pierce Auto Care, a local mechanic.
“All the staff here are pretty good,” said freshman and Honors resident, Courtney Dodds. “Any time I go anywhere there’s a [Resident Assistant] so if something goes wrong, they’re there. Most of the doors are locked.”
All three cases have been closed due to lack of evidence. There are no current leads regarding these thefts, according to police reports.
