Oakland man arrested for catalytic converter theft, assault in Redwood City
REDWOOD CITY -- Police have arrested a man suspected of stealing a catalytic converter in unincorporated Redwood City Thursday then robbing at gunpoint an observer who recorded the theft on his cellphone, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said Saturday.
Cristofer Hernandez, 25, of Oakland, was booked into the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Jail on suspicion of robbery, assault with a firearm, theft and tampering with a vehicle, according to police. Hernandez is being held on $100,000 bail, the sheriff's office said.
The case began Thursday when a suspect stole a catalytic converter from a vehicle in the Emerald Hills neighborhood of unincorporated Redwood City, according to the sheriff's office. A resident who saw what was happening had recorded the theft on his phone, police said.
When the suspect realized that he had been recorded, he pointed an automatic handgun at the resident and stole the phone, according to the sheriff's office.
The sheriff's office launched an investigation, releasing a detailed description of the suspect's blue Honda Accord and asking the public for assistance.
Sheriff's deputies and detectives pursued leads in the case and located the car in Oakland and were able to find the suspect and apprehend him, according to the sheriff's office.