Hollister PD: Three arrested after suspected attempt of catalytic converter theft
Booking Photos: Hollister Police Department
Three people have been arrested in connection to the alleged attempted theft of a catalytic converter, Hollister Police report.
In the early morning hours of December 9, officers were dispatched to the 2000 block of Highland Drive, where a concerned resident had reported seeing a man jump into a silver Chevy Tahoe and speed away. Concerned that the man had tried to steal a catalytic converter from a nearby truck, the resident called police.
While en route, an officer reportedly spotted the Tahoe and pulled it over on Highway 25 near San Felipe Road. The officer found there were three people in the vehicle — two men and a woman — as well as cutting tools in plain sight.
The officer and his K9 partner Lupo conducted a search of the vehicle, reportedly finding a baggie of methamphetamine, power tools, reciprocating saws, and two recently removed catalytic converters.
The three occupants — identified as Rafael Lazaro (29), Fernando Esparza (37), and Janet Silva (38) — were arrested and booked at the San Benito County Jail on a variety of charges.
