Serial Catalytic Converter Thieves Caught

San Francisco police said two men were arrested after officers investigating an auto burglary at Stonestown Mall tracked a suspect vehicle to El Cerrito Plaza and found six stolen catalytic converters inside. The arrests followed a May 7 response to the mall, where officers were told suspects had broken into a vehicle and stolen property, according to a San Francisco Police Department news release published May 13. Police said the case widened as investigators linked one of the men to additional catalytic-converter thefts, auto burglaries and fraud. (sanfranciscopolice.org) The case also shows how Bay Area police are using real-time tools in property-crime investigations. (sanfranciscopolice.org) SFPD said its Real Time Investigation Center and automated license plate reader alerts helped officers follow the vehicle across the region after discovering the plate on it had itself been reported stolen. Berkeley police also assisted the investigation, SFPD said. ### How did a burglary call at Stonestown Mall lead police to El Cerrito? On May 7 at about 10 a.m., SFPD officers responded to Stonestown Mall after witnesses reported that suspects had broken into a vehicle and taken items, the department said. (sanfranciscopolice.org) With help from the Real Time Investigation Center, the department’s Citywide Plainclothes team began searching for the suspect vehicle and learned the license plate on it had been reported stolen, according to the release. An automated license plate reader alert later hit near El Cerrito, police said. SFPD said investigators also received assistance from the Berkeley Police Department during the search before plainclothes officers found the vehicle at El Cerrito Plaza. (sanfranciscopolice.org) ### Who was arrested, and what did police say they found? El Cerrito Plaza was where officers took two suspects into custody, SFPD said. Police identified them as 39-year-old Calvin Fries of Bay Point and 34-year-old Wyatt Zapien of Brentwood. (sanfranciscopolice.org) During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered property reported stolen in the Stonestown burglary, auto-burglary tools and six stolen catalytic converters, according to the release. SFPD said Fries and Zapien were booked into San Francisco County Jail on charges including second-degree burglary, possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools and conspiracy. (sanfranciscopolice.org) Police said Zapien was also booked on three out-of-county warrants. ### What made investigators describe the suspects as tied to more than one theft? SFPD said the investigation did not stop with the mall burglary. Police said Berkeley officers helped investigators identify a possible associate of the suspect vehicle as Fries and linked him to additional crimes, including catalytic-converter thefts, auto burglaries and fraud. (sanfranciscopolice.org) The burglary unit also connected Fries to one additional catalytic-converter incident and Zapien to two additional catalytic-converter thefts and a felony evasion incident, according to the police release. SFPD did not provide dates or locations for those additional cases in the statement. (sanfranciscopolice.org) ### Why do catalytic converters remain a target for thieves? California officials have said catalytic converters are attractive because they contain valuable metals and can be removed quickly from a vehicle. The California Air Resources Board said communities across the state have faced a sharp rise in thefts, while the National Insurance Crime Bureau reported more than 64,000 catalytic-converter thefts nationwide in 2022 based on insurance claims data. (sanfranciscopolice.org) California has responded with tighter rules. The California Department of Motor Vehicles said laws that took effect in 2024 require VIN marking in some vehicle sales and create criminal penalties tied to possession and sale of used catalytic converters. (sanfranciscopolice.org) ### What happens next in the San Francisco case? May 13 was the date SFPD published the arrests and said the matter remained an open and active investigation. The department asked anyone with information to call 1-415-575-4444 or send a tip by text to TIP411 beginning the message with “SFPD,” and listed case numbers 260-253-681, 260-030-732, 260-216-946 and 260-217-223. (ww2.arb.ca.gov) (sanfranciscopolice.org) (dmv.ca.gov)