2 men arrested after witness alerts police to attempted catalytic converter theft

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Thanks to a tip from a witness, two men have been arrested as a result of an attempted theft of a catalytic converter.

Richmond Police were called to the 3800 block of West Broad Street at 4 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30 due to reports of two individuals under a vehicle and sounds of a saw cutting metal.

When officers arrived, they found a pickup truck attempting to leave the parking lot.

Officers were able to stop the truck and arrest the two men after locating a handheld motorized saw tool in the vehicle.

A witness was able to show officers where the suspects had been seen crawling under a vehicle. Police then found a partially detached catalytic converter.

“Thefts of catalytic converters have been a problem across the region,” said Fourth Precinct Acting Captain Adrienne Gardner. “Thanks to this witness and quick response by officers, this theft was prevented and arrests were made. One can assist in preventing theft of your catalytic converter by making an appointment at a local Midas of Richmond shop and they will spray paint your converter for free to reduce the likelihood it can be re-sold if stolen to deter the thefts.”

Charles Hayes, 44, and Christopher Seay, 43, have both been charged with the felony offense of tampering with a catalytic converter.

Hayes has also been charged with felony possession of burglary tools.

Anyone with further information about these individuals is asked to contact Crimes Stoppers at (804) 780-1000.

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