Television icon Jay Leno is outraged by the light punishment given to catalytic converter thieves in his native California, where thefts have skyrocketed in the wake of the murder of actor Johnny Wactor.
former The Tonight Show The host, who is world-famous for his extensive antique car collection, told TMZ that it’s outrageous that the culprit behind the catalytic converter thief was only charged with a misdemeanor and fined just $1,000.
The theft happened last month, general Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor confronted a thief he caught stealing catalytic converters from his car, but was shot and killed by the thief as he fled the scene. Wacter, 37, died at the scene a few minutes later.
Leno said the soft spot for catalyst theft crimes is one of the reasons criminals have become so blatant.
It’s also a huge inconvenience for owners whose cars are the victim of these thefts. Firstly, because removing the converter is illegal and losing the device can result in heavy fines, car owners are obligated to replace it if it’s stolen. But repairs can cost thousands of dollars. To make matters worse, repairs can take months to complete because of long waiting lists for repairers and backorders for parts due to the high rate of theft.
Thieves steal converters because they contain some valuable metals that thieves can remove and turn into cash.
According to Reno, thieves typically make around $20 a piece for each of the stolen converters, which is why they are stolen in such large quantities.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Hustonor the Society of Truth Warner Todd Houston
