Elmwood Park police investigate multiple catalytic converter thefts
One case led to a chase and a car crash after police responded to a call.
More Stories
Police in Elmwood Park are investigating a recent string of catalytic converter thefts.
The first call came in around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, where three men were allegedly seen using power tools on a vehicle near Philip Avenue and River Drive, police said.
When police arrived to search the area, they found a dark-colored SUV double parked on Lee Street.
An officer made a U-turn to investigate when the driver of the SUV accelerated at a high rate of speed, leading the officer in a pursuit.
During the chase, the driver of the SUV purposefully crashed head-on with another marked police and drove off, according to police.
The pursuit continued onto Route 80 eastbound before police called off the pursuit for safety reasons.
On Wednesday at about 2:10 a.m., police responded to another call on Franklin Street where officers found people attempting to steal a catalytic converter off a parked car, according to police.
When the officers approached, the suspects fled in a white BMW X3 and a black SUV, but police did not pursue the vehicles for safety reasons.
Police say several catalytic converters have been stolen from the area recently, though it is not yet known if these incidents are connected.
