BRISTOL, IN - More than 1-thousand catalytic converters have been confiscated from a salvage yard after Elkhart County Police conducted a search warrant.
Police would not comment due to it being an active investigation, they say the converters were undocumented.
More than 100 converters have been reported stolen in Elkhart this month.
Police have increased patrols looking for suspicious activity.
But they're also looking to crack down on potential buyers.
"Through that and looking at their records we might also be able to build potential leads, connect some dots about some people that might be stealing catalytic converters and trying to sell them as well,” said Jessica McBrier, Elkhart Police Department PIO.
More than one thousand catalytic converters were confiscated by police Tuesday at Howard's Salvaging in Bristol.
While recording owners Brian and Amy, pulled up at first telling us to leave.
Then wanted to tell their side.
“We were trying to show them what converters went with what titles we had and everything. but they said we weren't interested in that because we didn't have pictures of the converters,” said Amy Howard, Owns Howard's Salvaging.
Brian Howard says everything was legit.
"We ask the right questions and if we don't feel like those cats are right or they don't have the proper information we can't buy them, we don't buy them. So i don't know why they took my stuff. I hope we can get this figured out,” said Brian Howard, Owns Howard's Salvaging.
His wife Amy believes they're being wrongfully targeted.
“Because we did have proof, they didn't want to hear it. We had titles, they didn't want to see it. We had receipts, they didn't want to see it. I had pictures on my phone from a business I just dealt with, they didn't care. They didn't care that there was proof. They just want, what I think they want to do is make them look good,” said Howard.
Amy also claims she knows who is taking-in the converters.
"You can sell them on eBay no proof needed. You can buy them on eBay with no proof needed. There's other companies out there that are doing the same thing. There's catalytic converter pages on Facebook where people are going on and posting the converter that they have to sell,” said Howard.
She claims she has helped police catch them in the past.
"We'd work with them if they would work with us but they are just looking to pin it on someone. It ain't going to be me and it isn't going to be my husband,” said Howard.
Brian Howard went on to say,
"I'm not the criminal here. Don't punish me for these idiots that are stealing cats."
The owners say they know who is stealing the converters and deny it’s them.
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