SLO police arrest 3 people for allegedly stealing catalytic converters from vehicles
The San Luis Obispo Police Department on Wednesday arrested three people suspected of stealing catalytic converters from vehicles on the Central Coast.
Police credited the quick actions of an “alert citizen” who helped identify a suspect vehicle, according to a news release.
At approximately 1:05 a.m. Wednesday, the Police Department received a call from someone who reported hearing what sounded like metal being cut in the 100 block for Mustang Drive and believed the noise was related to a series of recent thefts of catalytic converters from vehicles, the department said.
The caller reported seeing a dark minivan with a roof-mounted cargo rack in the area where the cutting was heard, police in the release.
Responding officers then saw the minivan the caller described as it was driving away from the area and stopped the vehicle, police said.
Police reportedly found three people in the van, along with “all the tools needed to remove catalytic converters” and two catalytic converters the suspects admitted to stealing earlier in the day, according to the release.
The investigation led officers to a local hotel where more tools and two additional catalytic converters were found, police said. The suspects allegedly told officers that those catalytic converters were stolen from Monterey County.
Samantha Chavez, 35, of Clearlake Oaks; Eric Staudinger, 33, of Concord; and a 31-year-old Pleasant Hill man were arrested on suspicion of grand theft during a state emergency, conspiracy, possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools and vehicle tampering.
The suspects were booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on Wednesday morning, but were not listed as in custody as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Police Department said this is an ongoing investigation and detectives are working with partner agencies to find the owners of the additional converters located in the motel.
If anyone has information about this case, the department is asking they contact Det. Benedetti at 805-594-8060 or Crime Stoppers at 805-549-7867.
This story was originally published February 24, 2021 at 2:50 PM.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to remove the identity of one of the suspects after he completed his probation without incident and successfully petitioned the court for an expungement of the case.
