Police Department

Catalytic Converter Theft

Cpl. Ronald Van Tassel

Monday, February 22, 2021 at 4:52 p.m.

SPD officers arrest a suspect for stealing a catalytic converter just hours after the theft was completed. Last week Spokane Police notified the public of a recent uptick in thefts of catalytic converters (see original release).

On February 22, 2021, Sweatshop Auto Sales on north Market Street had a theft occur in their car lot around 8am. Employee’s watched the video of the incident and observed 38 year old Robert Evans pull into the parking lot. He walked around the lot, got under a vehicle and it appeared he may have used a saw to cut the catalytic converter from the vehicle. Evans got back into his own car and fled the scene. Hours later the employee’s from Sweatshop Auto Sales located a vehicle matching the suspect vehicle parked in a parking lot at Wellesley and Crestline. They then called 911 to report the incident.

Minutes later Officers arrived on scene and detained Evans and a female passenger. Evans provided Officers with a fake name, most likely because he had a felony warrant for his arrest out of Pasco for theft of a motor vehicle.

Officers watched the security video of the theft and the male in the video was wearing the same clothing that Evans still had on. During the course of the investigation, Officers learned that right after the theft, Evans met up with another male and sold the catalytic converter for $50. When Evans was searched he still had the $50 on his person. Officers were able to recover the catalytic converter and get it back to its owners. The $50 went back to the male who bought the catalytic converter and Evans went to jail for felony theft and trafficking of stolen property.    

The investigation into the other thefts involving catalytic converters is still ongoing.

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