Homeowner shot after confronting catalytic converter thieves in Castro Valley; Suspects elude officers after chase
CASTRO VALLEY -- A man was shot and wounded in Castro Valley early Wednesday morning after confronting thieves trying to steal a catalytic converter from his vehicle, the sheriff's office said.
The shooting happened at about 3:50 a.m. on the 4500 block of Sargent Avenue between Alana Road and Sayer Street. Deputies arrived to find a victim with two gunshot wounds to his leg, according to Alameda County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly.
The victim told deputies four people were trying to steal the catalytic converter. After he confronted them, he was shot and the thieves fled in a silver four-door sedan.
The victim was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening.
"Typically, most thieves will leave the area. And these thieves are taking it up a notch and willing to shoot you for the catalytic converter. So that is very concerning for us law enforcement and the community," Kelly explained.
Kelly said after the vehicle fled, a patrol unit saw a vehicle matching the description on westbound Interstate Highway 580 at 150th Avenue. The deputy trailed the vehicle onto eastbound state Highway 24 where California Highway Patrol officers joined in.
A stop was attempted, but the driver failed to yield and officer began a pursuit on HIghway 24, which ended at the I-680 split when could not determine which way the vehicle went, Kelly said in a press statement. The CHP later reported a solo vehicle accident at the intersection of Treat and Buskirk in Walnut Creek where four suspects ran from the vehicle.
The trunk of the abandoned vehicle was filled with stolen catalytic converters, Kelly said. The four suspects were not located.
The vehicle was towed as evidence and the investigation was ongoing.
California recently passed three new laws aimed at stopping catalytic converter thefts. The first adds vehicle part thefts to the CHP's priority list. The second requires buyers to document their purchases, while the third requires sellers to show proof of ownership.
But some say those laws won't fix the problem. East Bay Congressman Eric Swalwell, who has a district office near the Castro Valley neighborhood where the incident happened, feels communities need more officers on the streets.
"I think the best thing we can do is increase resources with patrols in the area. And that's the biggest deterrent. Bad guys are going to be less likely to commit crimes if there is more police presence in the area," said Swalwell.
"It's like a huge avalanche of theft and we are trying to mitigate the best we can, but we are out resourced here," said Kelly.