Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Sweet Home Police Department arrested a man and woman in connection with a series of calls last week that included the location of three catalytic converters the police believe were stolen.
Arrested at about 12:55 a.m. on Aug. 26 were Chanelle Rae Hathway, 32, of Eugene, formerly of Sweet Home, and Erik Steven Ford, 35, of Eugene. They were charged with unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle, second-degree criminal mischief and third-degree theft.
The arrests stemmed from earlier in the day (Aug. 25) when a woman brought a brief case that had been pried open to the Police Department, Sgt. Jeff Lynn said. She told police that it had been thrown from the window of a U-Haul truck at the intersection of Clark Mill and Main streets.
The woman grabbed the brief case and followed the U-Haul to get a license plate number before going to the Police Department to turn in the brief case and report the incident.
At about 6:28 p.m., police received a complaint from the 45th Avenue area, Lynn said. The caller described a U-Haul truck and people under a car at the location. An officer arrived after the U-Haul had left the location.
Meanwhile, the U-Haul was spotted near the intersection of Quartzville Road and Highway 20, Lynn said. The driver, Ford, was cited for failure to carry and present a license and driving while suspened. Both were cited for open alcohol container, and police impounded the vehicle.
Police located three catalytic converters and a reciprocating saw in the back of the vehicle, Lynn said. Police also found broken glass in Ford’s pocket, he said.
While officers were busy on that incident, police received another call that someone had broken into a vehicle in the Safeway parking lot.
At the time, the owner believed only a pair of sunglasses had been stolen, Lynn said.
Once officers finished with the U-Haul, they let Hathaway and Ford go; but they seized the converters and saw, Lynn said. They were confident the converters were stolen.
They also seized tools that apparently belong to an Albany construction company, Lynn said.
Afterward, an officer discovered that the brief case belonged to the same man who reported that someone had broken into his car, Lynn said. A window had been broken in that vehicle, and investigators believe the glass in Ford’s pocket was from that window, he said.
Police arrested the two after a caller reported suspicious activity on Epps Lane. Police responded and arrested Hathaway and Ford.
None of the seized catalytic converters was from the earlier report, Lynn said. That car probably did not have a catalytic converter.
Police have not charged Ford or Hathaway in connection to the seized equipment and catalytic converters, Lynn said. The investigation is continuing.
“There’s quite a market for (catalytic converters),” Lynn said. Thieves seek the precious metals inside them, including platinum, rhodium and palladium.
“It’s easy to do,” Lynn said of the process of removing a converter. “It takes about three or four minutes.”
He suggests drivers try to keep their vehicles parked where they are visible, he said. Theft of catalytic converters is noisy and suspicious enough to cause witnesses to call the police.
Anyone with information possibly related to this case should contact police at 367-5181.