Thieves Steal Cats From Two Dozen School Buses

Students in an Indiana school district stayed home after thieves stole cats off about two dozen school buses. We’re not talking about feline theft, of course, but instead we’re referring to catalytic converter theft, an enterprise that’s made millionaires out of crime bosses.

Woman laughs in mugshot after vandalizing her ex’s car.

Some capitalizing thieves decided to hit the buses garage for Michigan City, Indiana on the night of August 18. As a result, administrators had to cancel classes on August 19, with older students doing school via the internet.

The theft happened just a week into the new school year, so it’s a great way to kick everything off.

A report from WNDU indicates police are investigating the catalytic converter heist. They’re asking the public for any information they might have.

Stealing catalytic converters is an easy job, especially on vehicles with high ground clearance, like school buses. The thief only needs a Sawzall to just cut the cat out of the exhaust system, often costing far more damage than if they were to unbolt the catalytic converter.

But cutting it off means a theft time of just a few minutes. In other words, the person or people who hit the school district’s bus fleet might have been in and out in under an hour, maybe under twenty minutes, depending on how many guys they had hacking off cats.

It’s a quick and easy crime, like taking the wheels off a car. But catalytic converters are easier to transport. Unfortunately, some metal recycling centers will take them without asking questions, allowing thieves to get some good money for little effort.

There are catalytic converter theft rings, some of them spreading across multiple states and netting millions a year in revenue. Sadly, that’s in part why the problem is so pervasive. While you can install locks and other devices to make your cat not as easy to steal, most people don’t take those kinds of preventions.

Image via Michigan City Area Schools/Facebook

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