why in the heck would they steal catalitic converters? Good luck catching those slimy bastrads
around here, they steal the cats, aluminum wheels off of anything, aluminum siding right off your frickin' house, they break in and steal copper plumbing pipes,
they steal copper and aluminum wire off of irrigation pumps (one farmer had his wire stolen, called Valley Sprayer, they came out that day and rewired it, the thieves got it again that night)...
all going to scrap yards as it's at roughly $200./ton right now for foundry scrap, and nearly $350 for aluminum and copper..