Suspect accused of stealing catalytic converters

Thefts dramatically increase

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A man suspected of stealing catalytic converters last October in Centennial has been arrested, the Arapahoe County Sheri ’s O ce said in a Feb. 7 news release.

ree catalytic converters were stolen Oct. 7 from Toyota Tacoma trucks at EcoShield Pest Solutions, located at 7275 S. Revere Parkway in Centennial, the sheri ’s o ce said in the release.

After an initial investigation, Arapahoe County Sheri ’s O ce investigators found the stolen parts at a local scrap yard in Denver, but the suspect was still at large, according to the sheri ’s o ce.

On Nov. 30, investigators sought an arrest warrant for Jeremiah Jansen, 47, on three felony charges: identity theft, criminal mischief and theft. Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce deputies arrested Jansen Jan. 3 on an unrelated charge of motor vehicle theft, according to the release.

As of Feb. 7, Jansen was in custody at the Douglas County Detention Facility. He was being held in lieu of $10,000 bond on the Arapahoe County charges, and he also faces additional criminal charges in Douglas County, per the release.

“ e investigator assigned to this case did an excellent job not only tracking down the stolen catalytic converters, which is extremely tough to do, but also remaining diligent in identifying and tracking down the suspect,” Arapahoe County Sheri ’s O ce Sgt. Matt Davis said in the release.

Arrests are rarely made in catalytic converter theft cases, and stolen catalytic converters are typically not recovered, the sheri ’s o ce said in the release.

“Catalytic converters are stolen primarily for their valuable metals,” the sheri ’s o ce said in the release. “ ieves steal them from unattended vehicles and since they’re not easily traceable, there’s a lucrative market for the stolen parts.”

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, catalytic converter thefts increased 1,215% between 2019 and 2022. e Englewood Police Department will host catalytic converter anti-theft events Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 in which people can sign up to get a free, do-it-yourself etching kit. ose interested in learning more about the events can visit: lockdownyourcar.org/events.

One method of preventing such thefts is catalytic converter etching, in which an identi cation label is placed on the catalytic converter.

Additional measures residents can take to protect against thefts involving vehicles include locking their car, parking in secure areas and removing any valuables from their car, according to the Colorado Auto eft Prevention Authority.