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2 Catalytic Converters Stolen From Local Business

KENNEDY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - Another local business has been hit by car part thieves.

Overnight two individuals drove their van into the parking lot of Mongiovi & Son in Kennedy Township and stole two catalytic converters from under one of their work trucks, according to the business.

The whole thing took only a few short minutes and was picked up on the building's surveillance camera.

"We have a decent picture but there's no way we're going to be able to get a license plate number from it," said, Rachele Mongiovi, Director of Marketing, who also told KDKA she knows the thieves hit up at least one other nearby business and stole seven more.

Mongiovi and Son catalytic converters
(Photo: Provided)

She's now hoping somebody comes forward with information to the police.

For Mongiovi, the parts will cost about $2000 to replace and the ordeal caused a one-or-two-day disruption to their work flow.

"We're already dealing with price increases, supply shortages, a delay in shipping times, so this is just another thing setting us back."

For any prospective thief willing to get down and dirty, you could cash out on the crime, said Randy Castriota of Castriota Metals in the South Hills.

"There's platinum, palladium, and rhodium in them. And sometimes it's worth more than gold… We pay anywhere from 20,30,40 dollars anywhere up to 85 or 90 dollars for a catalytic converter," Castriota said.

However, many scrap yards refuse to buy these converters off the street.

Castriota told KDKA, his business will only buy old ones with little value and document the sellers name and drivers license, plus the and make and model of the vehicle they come from.

And they have used that information before to help police when thefts have been reported in the past.

Kennedy Township Police are investigating this most recent catalytic converter theft.

Earlier this week, 35 catalytic converters were stolen from an RV dealership in Westmoreland County.

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