Catalytic converter theft leads to assault on Vancouver woman

Vancouver police say the number of catalytic converter thefts have more than doubled in the city since last year and not only are the thefts more frequent, they're also more violent.

Constable Tania Visintin says police have received reports of 425 catalytic converter thefts between January and this week, compared with 204 for all of 2020 and she says this year's reports include 14 where the victim was assaulted during the theft, eight more than in 2020.

A woman in east Vancouver was pepper sprayed when she confronted a person stealing the catalytic converter from her car earlier this week and police are urging people not to approach a suspect if they see a crime underway.

Catalytic converters are part of a vehicle's exhaust system but police say the items are being stolen because they contain small amounts of precious metal and are easy to sell.