West Plains, MO – On September 22, 2021, Officers from the West Plains Police Department were dispatched to 202 Walnut Street for a report of a theft. Officers contacted a representative of the First Baptists Church and learned a catalytic converter had again been stolen from one of the church’s vans.
Video from the church was obtained and a suspect was identified. Detectives went to the suspects’ residence and arrested 34-year-old Christopher F Hogue and 52-year-old Jason T Vanatter.
Houge and Vanatter are each being held on a $5,000.00 bond for felony stealing. The third suspect Kevin J. Vallerand was later arrested on an active warrant and is being held on a $5,000.00 bond
The following are some potential best practices, which were identified in open-source and industry reporting, that may help prevent the theft of catalytic converters:
- Park vehicles in a secure, well-lit area.
- Install motion detector lights and video surveillance cameras in parking areas, which may serve as a deterrent.
- Etch the vehicle identification number (VIN) onto the catalytic converter to ensure it is associated with the vehicle and would be identifiable if stolen.
- Paint the catalytic converter with a high heat, high visibility colored paint to make it more difficult for a thief to sell.
- Spot weld any bolts that attach a catalytic converter to the exhaust system or install anti-theft devices, such as welding a piece of rebar onto the catalytic converter to make it more difficult to steal.
- Look for ways to block access to the underside of vehicle fleets with high clearance, such as by parking vehicles with lower clearance nearby.
