Catching vandals

[redkow97]

My wife's sister moved in with us less than a month ago, and the exhaust on her CRV was getting a little loud, so she took it to a shop.

They told her that the pipe has been cut with a saw, and someone is likely trying to steal her catalytic converter to sell for parts.

That sounds odd, but plausible.

In any case, what do I do if I catch the fuckers in the act? She's been parking on the street, but will be in the driveway from now on. I will have to verify, but I don't think castle doctrine applies unless someone is trying to gain entry to your house, so "shoot the bastard in the leg" isn't going to cut it.

Obviously I will call the police if I catch someone in the act, but I've elluded the police on foot toilet papering as a kid... It's not hard.

Thoughts? Motion detector attached to a radio will make it easy to catch them in the act.

[imprez55]

I'm not sure how to catch the guys without it being borderline/ totally illegal, but a remote start might scare a guy to death that is totally underneath a car

[hue jass]

Try this CLICK Just tape over the red LED on the sensor, hide it pointed where they'll be, and you'll be notified. They'll never know you're being warned so that you can break their legs with a baseball bat with drywall screws sticking out of it. GL!

Edited May 15, 2011 by hue jass

[buildit]

Put the car on trick jacks that will fail in a strong breeze, if it happens to fall off the jacks and crush the thief, opps.

[JStump]

my buddy saw this guy heading to the scrap yard about a week back with a truck full of cats, your about 30 minutes away from where this pic was taken so he might be the guy jacking yours

Edited May 15, 2011 by JStump

[chevysoldier]

I keep police issue zip cuffs by my front door in case I ever have to hold someone until the police show up. Although that's for if someone breaks in, not theft while outside...

[speedytriple]

Go get a used high point. I didn't say what to do with it but keep it clean of your prints...jus sayin.

[Bad324]

you're in parma...baseball bat and the cops don't ask many questions so long as there isn't a deceased individual

[TSB67]

That sounds odd, but plausible.

It's legit dude. They don't "sell for parts" they recycle the precious metals. Cars like CRVs get hit the most because they're high enough to make it easy.

[TSB67]

http://www.catclamp.com/

[ReconRat]

http://www.catclamp.com/

hahahaha, why the hell didn't I think of that....

yeah, now that good weather is here again, they will be out after the cats

it's really random where they strike, but there is a range limit each night

[Helmutt]

http://www.catclamp.com/

That's an ingenious little device right there..........although it's sad we have to take measures such as this.........damn thieves!!

I'd go this route as well as lower the vehicle to keep them out from under it...

[ReconRat]

Lay down a roll of chicken wire in your driveway, tack it down, and hook it up to this:

http://www.amazon.com/Fi-Shock-SS-505CS-Powered-Electric-Energizer/dp/accessories/B0002YTLLS

I'd say hook it up to all the car's frames like we used to do in the old days,

but I'm not sure the modern car electronics would be agreeable with that.

Using cattle fences on people is not so acceptable in some jurisdictions.

And yes, it would be a PITB to connect it every night.

I've made good use of battery operated outdoor silent motion alarms. I keep them pointed around the vehicles and stuff. You need to be creative in placing them. They shouldn't be too low to the ground. And hard to see, etc. I do get tired of false alarms from dogs, cats, raccoons, deer and coyotes though. They have to be pointed some way that traffic on the street won't set them off. Motion sensitive camera systems hooked up to a computer with audible alarms work well also. Plus they record the activity.

This is the one I set up, but only because I wanted four units out there. And the alarm is a bit louder and annoying.

http://www.amazon.com/Skylink-HA-318-Household-Alert-Motion/dp/B000EN69DU/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305458272&sr=1-1-catcorr

now in black, but the white works mounted up on the side of the house:

http://www.amazon.com/Skylink-HA-434RTL-Range-Motion-Alert/dp/B003CWK4JK/ref=sr_1_8?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1305458413&sr=1-8

The single alarm units that have come onto the market should work just as well.

There's a ton of different types, just search for driveway alarms.

What you set up will vary depending on your driveway layout.

Some are difficult to arrange for.

And forget the baseball bat, get a tire thumper. Keep one hand free.

edit: haha, reading the comments on Amazon... "a medieval multipurpose utility tool....sort of an early version of the Leatherman."

Edited May 15, 2011 by ReconRat

[wht_scorpion]

Sounds like some one boyfriend try to mod her car. Or the soda can fell off from the guy she bought the car from

[redkow97]

Her boyfriend is in my guest room right now, and totally not mechanically inclined. No way he attempted to fix or mod anything.

She also just had exhaust work done a few months ago.

[max power]

Ballbat to the shins will solve that issue. Id say they are not coming back. Something spooked them or the cat would be gone.

[wht_scorpion]

A car alarm would fix that maybe the guy that did the last fix cut the wrong pipe

[speedytriple]

Get a motion light and wire it up. then the baseball bat idea seems to be winning so far.

[Steve Butters]

im pretty sure if they were going to take it, they would have taken it the night it happened....they might have got spooked and took off, but i dont see them making a special trip just to come back for one cat...i wouldnt even worry about it anymore to be honest

Edited May 15, 2011 by Steve Butters

[John]

start sleeping in the car with a baseball bat.

[John]

as for preventing the guy from stealing it - im pretty sure if they were going to take it, they would have taken it the night it happened....they might have got spooked and took off, but i dont see them making a special trip just to come back for one cat...i wouldnt even worry about it anymore to be honest

this.

[Bad324]

Ballbat to the shins

Get a motion light and wire it up. then the baseball bat idea seems to be winning so far.

start sleeping in the car with a baseball bat.

just saying...

[ReconRat]

im pretty sure if they were going to take it, they would have taken it the night it happened....they might have got spooked and took off, but i dont see them making a special trip just to come back for one cat...i wouldnt even worry about it anymore to be honest

Yeah. Now that people are aware, they will avoid the area, and move on to someplace new. But there's more than one group doing this. And they pick on vans and SUVs. They went through my area, and got three or more one night. Never came back. They or somebody else is about due for another visit.

And I don't think they use a hacksaw, I'd use a portable saws-all.

[Kent2406]

Not saying he did it, but that white truck definitely needs checked out for legitimacy.

[Scruit]

Cat thieves are not going to be brazen enough to carry dozens in an open pickup...

I was involved in a case once where I caught a guy stealing my neighbor's catalytic converter. Called the police and gave them the license # of the car. They did their voodoo and found the cat - and caught the thief red handed at the junkyard selling a cat he stole from another SUV.

Read the laws on citizen's arrest very carefully. I don't believe you can citizen's arrest for a misdemeanor. Felony theft is $500 or more. Even though it can cost thousands to buy a new cat the valuation of an item stolen from a private individual is based upon the *used* value of that item. That is, whatever the junkyard will pay for it. About $50.

(If the cat is stolen from a commercial vehicle then the valuation is based upon the cost to replace with a new item)

Citizen's arrest for a misdemeanor is likely going to backfire, hard. And doing violence upon them is equally going to backfire.

Cat clamp, straight pipe, park in a garage, engrave your vin on the cat with "If offered for sale please call the police" etc.

Sucks, but there's not much you can do without getting into trouble yourself.