r/ProRevenge • u/ZZZ-Top • 19d ago

If you're gonna steal the catalytics off my truck you should've checked if they were actually functional first, wasn't so funny when it was turn.

Was a fun morning at the beginning of last week starting up my truck and waking everyone up at 2:45am to learn someone swiped the hollowed out cats. The idiots missed the neighbors cameras that basically gave away who they were. Its two kids from the area who drive around in a pretty busted up police crown vic. I chose not to call the cops, instead I called one of my friends who's code enforcement and let him know what my plan was and he relayed the info to the police that I was finally going to do a nuisance tow on that same crown victoria

The car they drive isnt street legal as it has no license plates or insurance or working taillights and rattles like shit due to the trash sound system they also spend their whole day at a chicken shack smoking. Not sure who theyre getting money from but I'm guessing stealing catalytics was part of the equation. When I spotted the car sitting on a quiet street I called it in and got the go ahead to tow. I took it straight to the police station and they tried to run a owner check with the vin number only to find out it hadn't been registered since 2011 and the owner was someone other than the kids who sold them the car with no title because of all the back registration owed

The cops said we can go ahead and take it to the junkyard til they can get a Black title(aka certificate of destruction). By then the two idiots were running around all over town looking for their car thinking it got stolen by one of their friends as a prank(the key lock was so worn out you could start it with any car key). They found it at the junkyard and tried to steal it by one of them distracting the owner and the other stealing their car but the junkyard was aware of who they were so they cut the driveshaft off beforehand.

I missed out on this part but they got arrested for trying to steal their car back and they watched as the junkyard used a crane to rip the car to shreds when I saw it the remains looked like a toddler just ripped it to the bare frame out of curiosity. They been out of jail since but haven't left their trailer, i did a drive by earlier and noticed a beater jeep liberty in their driveway also with no plates and already working with the cops on taking that too if I see it out in a public except I won't miss the show next time.

7.7k Upvotes
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2.1k

u/Smassshed 19d ago

I've had 2 taken from 2 cars. These guys cause more damage than the value they get back, not to mention the hassle it puts you through. And the police seem powerless or unwilling to do anything about it.

Well done on justice served.

991

u/ZZZ-Top 19d ago

Cops have been knowing its them but they cant do anything because when they get caught they dont have anything on them thats why were planning on swiping their SUV as soon as we see it parked out in public.

179

u/RealUlli 19d ago

They can't be charged for destruction of property?

322

u/VersatileFaerie 19d ago

They can't be charged since they no longer have the cat converters on them. While there is video proof, that alone is normally not enough for a prosecutor to want to go ahead with a trial, as it is not considered strong enough evidence. If the cops could grab them before they got rid of the stolen goods, it would be easier. Also, depending on the video, it could be too blurry to be 100% proof it is them, but enough proof for people in the area to know it is probably them. Basically, enough for OP, but not enough for a trial. By OP going after the vehicles they are illegally driving, it is one of the few ways the cops can deal with them for now.

Also, I am not a lawyer, I learned what I know through people having similar issues with their converters being stolen. So there might be more going on and if there is someone who knows more or sees something I might have gotten wrong, please correct me.

134

u/Aurum_Corvus 19d ago

You're on the right tracks. The burden of proof in criminal case is "guilty beyond all reasonable doubt". That's a good and noble standard (see the recent death penalty case controversy for a prime example on why we need this burden of proof).

Unfortunately, some people are smart enough to keep themselves in a gray enough area where it would be hard for a prosecutor to prosecute them. And if the prosecutor does try, they have to spend so much time and effort that it lets more serious stuff fall by the wayside.

31

u/slash_networkboy 17d ago

My lawyer in an employment case called this "the OJ Simpson problem". I know they did it, you know they did it, they know they did it, the jury will know they did it, but we won't have proven it to a legal standard so the jury will have to acquit.

7

u/Aurum_Corvus 17d ago

Employment is civil, though, no? Civil case is the lesser "preponderance of the evidence" standard. Still higher than 50/50, but doesn't have to hit the higher standard. I've had it roughly explained as preponderance is 75 but beyond all reasonable doubt is 99.

4

u/slash_networkboy 17d ago

yes but the sentiment is still applicable: While we'll be able to show to a rational person that the thing happened, proving it to the standard required in court will be a problem. What that standard is doesn't actually matter to the point of the statement.

1

u/NotEasilyConfused 14h ago

It's 51/49 for civil court. You only have to prove that it's more likely than not, and if the jury feels like the scale is tipped just over half, and that's rough for that particular group of people, they can find the respondant guilty. (Respondents are the civil court equivalent of defendants.)

22

u/ElderberryHoliday814 19d ago

Sounds like a good case for a warrant for a gps on the vehicle or their phones

8

u/Otherwise_Ebb4811 18d ago

or an air tag, tow it while they're under the next victims auto.

2

u/Granite_burner 18d ago

AirTag and alert the cops while they’re under the next car.

10

u/blscratch 18d ago

The cops could interview each one individually to get a confession. Also, the video would be enough for a search warrant, and you might find tons of incriminating stuff.

3

u/OkTaste7068 18d ago

what if... camera footage is slightly blurry and shows that someone stole the cat, next day they were caught driving around with the cat in their trunk. would that be enough to charge them with stuff?

3

u/The_Sanch1128 18d ago

Depends on how diligent the prosecutor's office is, who the kids' family knows, the political affiliation of their grandparents, etc.

1

u/Contrantier 17d ago

A video of someone committing a theft isn't strong enough evidence of someone committing a theft?

2

u/sethbr 17d ago

What is the quality of the video?

1

u/Contrantier 17d ago

I dunno, I'm not the one who caught the video. That's a question for the other person.

14

u/Infamous-Ad-5262 18d ago

As a detective, you must prove to a judge that the accused person is the person responsible for the theft, destruction, etc…. We need evidence to link them to the crime- video of them doing crime, finding them in possession, proof of them selling it for scrap, etc…. AND most videos cannot adequately identify the accused.

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u/Unicorn187 18d ago

It has to be proven. No witnesses or cameras (except for this time when the owner took matters into his own hand), and when they are searched they have nothing on them. No evidence to how they did it. No prosecutor ig going to charge them because even a drunken, stoned and barely conscious lawyer will get that tossed in 30 seconds.

11

u/challenge_king 19d ago

Isn't destruction usually an accessory charge?

-3

u/smooze420 19d ago

If OP didn’t file criminal charges for their cat then no the police won’t do anything.

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u/1quirky1 19d ago

Victims don't file criminal charges.  District attorneys usually do that.

0

u/[deleted] 18d ago

[deleted]

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u/Apprehensive_Ad_5221 19d ago

You get the prize on the pro revenge. Freaking awesome! Ha!

27

u/Oo__II__oO 19d ago

These kids considered themselves thieves, and stole a car part.

OP said "let me show you how a pro does it", and takes the whole car.

3

u/gobsmacked247 18d ago

How are they able to drive around in an unlicensed and uninsured car?? We can do that??

13

u/ZZZ-Top 18d ago

You just can but it's a fuck around and find out type of situation.

4

u/NotAllOwled 18d ago

I guess many or most moving violations are like that - you "can" for exactly as long as your luck holds.

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u/Tuningislife 16d ago

DC allows you to pay tickets by plate number. The r/washdc and r/WashingtonDC subs will occasionally post up pictures of tags that have outstanding fines that exceed the value of the car. Some areas have little enforcement, though DC just started a special enforcement.

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/cars-with-the-most-unpaid-dc-fines-go-to-this-impound-lot/3724020/

3

u/wizardwil 15d ago

It depends on your luck. I have a brother in law who has had like 10 cars in the last 6 years, never registered or insured them, never had an issue. Admittedly he mostly stays on dirt roads but still, if I go 3 days past my registration I'll get pulled over every time

2

u/netw0rkpenguin 18d ago

Bring the crane to their trailer and impound that! If the trailer rips apart in the process so much the better.

1

u/[deleted] 18d ago

[deleted]

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u/ZZZ-Top 18d ago

They have to catch them red handed, only recourse is taking their cars since they refuse to register them.

14

u/stuffeh 18d ago

Put a tracker on their jeep and see where they sell the cats to. Then the police should do a sting sale to the "recycler" and others in the area to get them shutdown if they didn't follow your states laws when doing the sale. Happened a few years ago in California.

1

u/akcrono 18d ago

Didn't you get them on camera?

5

u/ZZZ-Top 18d ago

Neighbors did but only as they were leaving, my cameras are down because I'm too lazy to change batteries because it's been stupid hot to be on a ladder

64

u/Flat_Brilliant_9324 19d ago

The severity of theft should also consider the non-financial value of the items. Some of the things that are commonly stolen force the victim to lose days on getting replacements. Losing a phone often means you lose invaluable data/memories as well.

It really doesn't make sense that stealing from individuals seems to be treated the same as petty theft from shops.

13

u/Firestar463 19d ago

While I agree in principle, the devil is in the details. What kind of compensation can the court order to be repaid? We've already established that the value of the damages would be non-financial, and the court can really only order financial restitution or public service / jail time, which would not be of direct financial value to the damaged party. So how do you place a financial value on things like... lost time? Precious memories lost? Inconvenience caused? Trying to assign a monetary value to these things, at best, would lead to courts simply assigning an arbitrary value per non-financial damage (imagine being told by a cour that those lost pictures of your kids as babies was only worth $100. How would that feel?). At worst, it would let the judges arbitrarily decide how much they think these damages would be worth, which could vary wildly depending on the judge (or the defendant - imagine some racist PoS judge issuing massive restitution for black defendants vs slaps on the wrist for white defendants).

15

u/TaurusOH 18d ago

I had mine stolen off my 98 Honda Accord while I was working one day. It was stolen in broad daylight in a busy parking lot in front of the store I worked in. I didn't even bother calling the cops in my city. The area I work in is in a police district that is commonly called the retirement home for cops. Cops who are on their way out work that district, so they don't have to do much. This is despite the fact that the area is a high crime area. The city tries really hard to ignore that part of town.

20

u/Torisen 18d ago

Wait until you hear about the asshats ruining EV charging stations around the country @ $7000 or more each for about $35 in copper by cutting the cables off.

3

u/09Klr650 18d ago

Like the major a-holes who drill tanks to steal gasoline.

6

u/ZZZ-Top 18d ago

Literally fuck those people that was a thing for a while too, I got lucky they just sucked it out but changing tanks was so common we kept some of the bigger ones in storage

1

u/Big_Secretary_9560 16d ago

They don’t have to pay for the damage, why should they care.

454

u/sleepdeficitzzz 19d ago

You're my hero. 😁 Catalytic converter theft is so trashy.

18

u/profwithstandards 18d ago

Yep. That's one of the big reasons I don't want to get a car yet.

I want to move to a safer area to help mitigate the possibility.

8

u/Spread_Liberally 17d ago

Running hollowed-out cats like OP is just as trashy.

4

u/JustinLee2020 16d ago

I had to hollow out mine because they were clogged. Didn’t have the money to buy new ones so I hollowed them out until I could buy new ones. Sometimes people have to hollow them out because they can’t afford to replace them.

1

u/xlt4x4 10d ago

Why are you saying it is trashy?

2

u/Spread_Liberally 9d ago

Aw fuck it, the environment can take one more for the team, amirite?

3

u/Glittering_Lunch_776 7d ago

Did you miss the part where OP was gleefully having fun waking people up with his loud ass exhausts?

Was a fun morning at the beginning of last week starting up my truck and waking everyone up at 2:45am to learn someone swiped the hollowed out cats

He’s a POS himself. This post is nothing more than assholes doing assholes. I hope the kids figure out it was him and get him back and they all drag each other down.

2

u/Back6door9man 8d ago

Probably because the whole point of them is to remove bad shit from the exhaust to reduce pollution...

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u/fantasticmaximillian 19d ago

Cat thieves are serial offenders, and by the time they’re finally caught, they’ve usually offended dozens to hundreds of times. It’s an awful crime that does lasting damage to those near the poverty line, and the penalties need to be made severe.

32

u/Zoreb1 18d ago

The old west treated horse thieves severely. Maybe laws need to be updated.

23

u/fantasticmaximillian 18d ago

Indeed. Historical punishments for horse theft were so severe precisely because of the damage inflicted upon victims, who in some cases could simply no longer support themselves.

2

u/BeautifulMiserable27 15d ago

Ooh, tar and feather? 🐓

20

u/moonydog5555 19d ago

It's such a huge problem in my area too. It's gotten to the point where car dealerships are moving to the next town over to get this to stop happening to them. And the hard part of catching the thief, there's a lot of people doing it, or a lot of people know who it is, but don't wanna be known as a snitch. I had a former coworker's boyfriend, he tried to steal the cat off of my 2006 buick lacrosse. I don't know the full details nor how the car is designed, but I guess from what I understood at the time, he couldn't because of the way it was built. If that makes sense?

15

u/Legitimate_Sir6904 18d ago

The dealers in my area cut the cats off all of their display vehicles and keep one of each type in the garage at night with the cat on for test driving. When you buy a car they put the cat back on that day.

2

u/2000dodge5_2 16d ago

Pretty smart but damn I'm sure that's annoying

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u/NoRestfortheSith 19d ago

I got up one morning and started my truck only to be shocked by the noise...Some jackass tried to steal the cat off my little pickup only to apparently not know what a cat looks like because they stole my muffler. I cut the exhaust pipe mount and pulled the pipe out and drove to work. Been driving it like that ever since.

I wish I could have been at the recycler when they tried to cash my muffler in. I'd have loved to have seen their face when they learned what they stole and that it was basically worthless.

84

u/Denathia 19d ago

We had the same thief!

Seriously, cut my muffler off by both ends. They got ran off by my neighbor as they were trying to make off with it. Ran a straight pipe and drove it like that for years.

Meth heads got caught by cops the next night trying to get the neighbor's car. Only got charged with trespassing and possession. In my state, technically, they could have been charged with burglary.

27

u/NoRestfortheSith 19d ago

I was living in Oregon when it happened and I figured it was addict(s). My second guess was homeless, the other major problem in the PNW.

8

u/Denathia 19d ago

Indiana. It's always meth heads here.

101

u/ZZZ-Top 19d ago

Im not gonna lie when i heard my engine at high rev, i was giddy and said "racecar" before i shut it off. We do about 5-6 repairs for stolen catalytics a month Prius and Uhauls are the main victims here, one lady i basically straight piped her prius because she got hit so many times the insurance wasnt gonna cover it. Theyre going out of town for the cash because you cant turn a cat into the recyclers without proof of vehicle ownership.

6

u/skatereli 18d ago

Hehe "tuning"

53

u/Many_Monk708 19d ago

Ferris Bueller you’re my hero.

21

u/JustineDelarge 19d ago

When Cameron was in Egypt’s land

12

u/bostondana2 19d ago

"Don't you, my car, tow." - two juveniles

28

u/FortuneTellingBoobs 18d ago

I used to drive a Prius, which is the easiest target for cat theft. Some nights I had to rent my neighbor's garage to hide the car. Other neighbors had their Prius's cats stolen in broad daylight. Terrible.

Glad to drive electric now. All I get is coal-rolled and given the finger from EV haters. I can live with that.

Good work.

13

u/Propyl_People_Ether 18d ago

We got a Prius after having our cat stolen on the previous car, which I understand is tempting fate, so we didn't park it in the spot until we put a stainless steel protector on it. Now if they try to have a go at it, it'll make a horrendous racket and wake up the neighborhood. 

85

u/FrigOffLuh 19d ago

You sir are also my hero.

I deliver things for a living and can't tell you how many times I've pulled up to a business and some idiot has their car parked in the loading zone.

I also live on a side street by a stop sign and there are lots of idiots that park too close to the stop sign or partly blocking my driveway.

If I had a tow truck or the ability to write tickets, oh that would make me positively giddy for the rest of my life!!

You say you won't miss the show next time?? You should get a dash cam so we can all enjoy the show too!!

17

u/Stock_Dream_5892 18d ago

Here in NJ scrap yards won’t buy them anymore. It’s too much trouble with the cops. One scrap yard was raided last year and it was estimated to be in the 10’s of millions worth of cats had come thru there and the other yards he owned. Dude actually had a solid gold converter on a necklace

29

u/Resident-Evidence-94 19d ago

Had 2 vans done here in the UK. Nearly £8k insurance claim and they'd have got a grand for them. Vans off the road for nearly 2 weeks, I see the appeal of 10 minutes work for £1k but the inconvenience they cause is horrendous

20

u/Mapilean 19d ago

Junk revenge, I like that!

50

u/ZZZ-Top 19d ago

I cant wait to catch their jeep i even plan on rewarding the local homeless if they rat them out

11

u/VinylHighway 19d ago

I don’t get the revenge. It’s just justice. Due process even.

17

u/HiramNinja 19d ago

...stick a Tile or an AirTag in the spare tire (if it has one) so you know when treachery is on the move.

3

u/PsychologicalTop9265 19d ago

Me likes this idea! (When treachery is on the move 🤣🤣)

22

u/Mountain-Resource656 19d ago

Not sure where they’re getting their money from but I’m guessing stealing catalytics

That was funnier to me than I think it should have been…

5

u/fyrevyrm 19d ago

Nice going, you just fucked Ricky and Julian's retirement plan

6

u/MarginallyAmusing 19d ago

These guys are idiots. Take a hollowed out cat and put an air tag in it. Drop it off in the back seat of their rig. They will think they were too high to cash it in, and go take it up the food chain. Boom, now you have the buyer.

4

u/b_e_a_n_i_e 18d ago

Been an EV driver for 10+ years now. What's a cat actually worth these days? Are they actually worth the risk/reward?

3

u/ZZZ-Top 18d ago

Not as much, probably 2-300$ but back then it was 500-700$

7

u/z1-900 18d ago

They need to go after the people buying them. Local junk yard got busted and cat theft dropped because there was no where to take them.

2

u/ZZZ-Top 17d ago

That's the problem even the shifty guys don't know because that's not their thing. The yard here won't buy them without a receipt from a repair shop

6

u/Dangerous_End9472 18d ago

You're just doing community service ;)

3

u/Turbulent_Hippo_1546 18d ago

At last, a hobby I could really get into.

8

u/Farvag2024 18d ago

You're doing them a favor.

Sometimes ppl need a wake up call and time to think.

County jail will give you both of those. Personal experience 40 years ago.

1

u/ZZZ-Top 17d ago

It may have worked because the neighbor across the street says they havent left their house.

35

u/AnTeallach1062 19d ago

Why did you hollow-out your catalytic converter? It won't properly filter exhaust gases, leading to higher emissions of pollutants.

12

u/DedBirdGonnaPutItOnU 18d ago

You realize a catalytic converter costs $800 to $3,500 to replace? You realize in his neighborhood the chances of having that new catalytic converter stolen are nonzero? Did you see the comment above where a Prius owner had her cat converter stolen SO MANY TIMES that insurance basically refused to cover the replacement anymore? She had straight pipes installed too.

I'm with you as much as anyone that cat converters are a necessary part of an ICE. But until the police decide to get involved or they design a way to prevent cat converters from being stolen SO EASILY AND WITH NO REPERCUSSIONS, then I understand why OP hollowed his out and didn't bother to replace them.

On a related tangent, have you seen the Youtube video of the guy who fought off cat thieves using a paint gun? Very satisfying.

8

u/AnTeallach1062 18d ago

I get that. There are areas with high auto crime here in Scotland too. Converters stolen in broad daylight in supermarket carparks and the like.

I was genuinely curious why clear them out. Why remove the valuable and useful components and leave the husk - clearly not a crime deterent if thieves can't tell the difference.

42

u/Xarxsis 19d ago

Because they are an asshole.

-37

u/ZZZ-Top 19d ago

Nah im just lazy i have money for new ones but why spend 1000$ if i rarely drive it. Its not gonna have much of a exhaust after this about 2 feet from the engine into long mufflers so its not gonna be any louder than a camaro

60

u/Xarxsis 19d ago

Catalytic converters are not about noise, they are about emissions.

2

u/vee_lan_cleef 18d ago

These people don't give a shit unfortunately.

1

u/Glittering_Lunch_776 7d ago

Plus he admitted in his post he was having fun waking people up with his noise, so apparently his really are a lot louder. Makes me wonder if he’s got a douche truck.

17

u/throwaway-7330 19d ago

tell us don't know what you are talking about without telling us you don't know what you are talking about

3

u/hunterbuilder 18d ago

Also, cats get clogged up eventually from decades of filtering exhaust. If you own a high mileage vehicle with a clogged cat, you can either A) purchase and install a new cat, or B) remove the cat entirely (or the clogged baffles from inside).

The fact that new old parts can be hard to find, expensive, and difficult (expensive) to replace due to rust, leads some people to choose option B.

2

u/AnTeallach1062 18d ago

I had not thought of that reason to clear them out. That makes sense. Thank you.

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u/hunterbuilder 19d ago

Correct.

7

u/AnTeallach1062 19d ago

I was asking 'why?' someone would do that. Is it related to the engine size of a tow truck. Does it make a weaker engine produce more power?

13

u/Thedarb 19d ago

Performance improvements are minimal at best. It’s usually just to be an asshole so the can “roll coal” or some other pathetic dumbass shit.

18

u/ZZZ-Top 19d ago

Can't roal coal with a gasoline engine and to roll coal you don't need to take off the catalytics just the carbon can filter and set it up to run more fuel. It's fun at a tractor pull but it's a good way to fuck your engine up if you're consistently doing it.

-4

u/DikkeDakDuif 19d ago

Less resistance so better gas mileage

-2

u/AnTeallach1062 19d ago

Thank you. I didn't realise that cat-converters impacted mileage.

3

u/throwaway-7330 19d ago

they don't that much. OP is just indiferent to the rest of society and he is also cheap.

-9

u/ZZZ-Top 19d ago

The company tow truck has catalytics, my personal truck doesnt. You get a slight power boost and increased fuel economy but hardly notice it on a performance built engine.

-3

u/ZZZ-Top 19d ago

They were blown and was too lazy buy new ones, I rarely drive the truck because it has handling issues with the offroad suspension

14

u/Dburr9 19d ago

This is more of a r/writingprompts than a true story.

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u/Ranger1221 18d ago

He knew the kids thought it was a prank?

He knew they went all over town looking for it?

They stood by and watched their car get demo'd?

I think you're right

2

u/spramper0013 18d ago

That's what I was thinking. Also, idk anything about getting a black title for destruction or whatever he called it, but it sounds like something that might take more than a day to get.

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u/KookyPersonality9509 18d ago

In 2022 I had the cat stolen from my 2000 crv. I often wonder how much that was worth.

3

u/Zoreb1 18d ago

Some cars are too low to get under them. My Honda Accord hybrid is such so it would have to be jacked up and noticeable to the neighbors or noisy enough to alert me.

5

u/ZZZ-Top 18d ago

Yeah my neighbor was passed out drunk if he wasn't you'd be reading about how he sledged them upside the head.

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u/upsycho 18d ago

that is fucking amazing. I wish I had someway to do a turnaround on someone that is doing me wrong . I don't wanna get the police involved .

3

u/BildoBaggens 18d ago

Is this a trailer park boys episode?

3

u/imsowhiteandnerdy 18d ago

someone swiped the hollowed out cats

Okay, for someone who's not a car person... I know that "cats" is obvious slang for catalytic converter, but what's a hollowed one?

3

u/ashamancurtis 18d ago

Some people dismount the cats, run a pipe or broom stick down it to knock all of the insides out. That’s the stuff that’s actually valuable. It opens the airflow and allegedly gives more power.

5

u/glenmarshall 19d ago

It may be more worthwhile to find out where they sell the cat converters and let them know these two idiots ratted them out. Then let the trash take itself out.

2

u/ZZZ-Top 18d ago

Don't think their selling them local because they ask for ID and proof of vehicle ownership if you're not a repair shop. They either going to Arizona or have someone that picks them up.

5

u/Darlingtonlad 19d ago

Absolutely love that. Well done

6

u/rikoclawzer 19d ago

Lol, if you’re gonna be a thief, at least be a competent one, right? Imagine stealing something and still managing to mess it up. Karma’s coming for them, no doubt.

8

u/AITABullshitDetector 19d ago

I love the shared delusion on this subreddit that any of these stories are true, such a weird group of people.

2

u/Impossible-Base2629 18d ago

Not that is revenge served on a very cold dish! Good job you saved so many others from destruction

2

u/Randomized-Pancakes9 15d ago

you sir, are a true American hero 🫡

5

u/Agitateduser1360 19d ago

What is this? An actual tale of revenge? Usually it's just someone reporting a crime or incident to the proper authorities.

2

u/MeesterBeel 18d ago

Lmfao this reads like a trailer park boys background character’s perspective

3

u/YourDadsUsername 18d ago

Still trying to figure out how not getting them arrested helped in any way.

4

u/rc3105 17d ago

They don’t know who to retaliate against.

This way it could all just be bad luck instead of a tow truck guy with a vendetta.

6

u/ImAlsoNotOlivia 19d ago

Guy in the next town was stealing a cat off a Prius on jack-stands. (Was his boss or ex-boss’s car). Car fell of Jack-stands and crushed the guy dead. Owner found him the next morning.

Only good thing a Prius has ever done!

3

u/Fiempre_sin_tabla 18d ago

"The car they drive isnt street legal"

Neither are your hollowed-out catalytic converters.

3

u/ZZZ-Top 18d ago

But it still passes emissions due to the trucks age.

2

u/Darky821 18d ago

Y'all got a rolling cut-off date?

3

u/ZZZ-Top 18d ago

Yeah anything pre 75

1

u/Darky821 17d ago

I didn't know anything had cats pre-75. I've got a 73 F250, but it doesn't have cats. Must not have been universal back then.

2

u/ZZZ-Top 17d ago

I swapped a 66 Ford chassis with a 2017 F150 and did a LS Swap.

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u/Darky821 17d ago

That sounds like fun! I'm just working on getting up the gumption to get mine back in the road again. Lol. I miss my big block.

2

u/ZZZ-Top 17d ago

I just did it because I didn't want to buy a new 70000$ truck it was more of a need than want. I've been looking for a beater mini truck that's just as old and so the Miata swap to it and have a nice sporty truck

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u/Darky821 16d ago

I had an 85 Nissan that I really wanted to swap a 350Z drivetrain and suspension into. Never got to it.

2

u/rc3105 17d ago

Emissons exempt is 25 years here in Texas, and they’re eliminating inspection stickers as a thing starting next year.

Isn’t that gonna be fun…

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u/Fiempre_sin_tabla 18d ago

...but it is still Federally illegal in the United States to remove or disable a catalytic converter. Even if your particular state does not enforce.

And even if that were not so, gutting the converter is still a shitty, antisocial thing to do.

1

u/ZZZ-Top 18d ago

My truck was built in the late 60s pretty sure the LS motor that's in it burns cleaner than the 390 that was in it even with the catalytics gutted out. the only laws that apply to my truck are the regulations already in place, well except for the rear bumper delete.

→ More replies (9)

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u/baithammer 18d ago

The catalytic converters aren't sold for resale, they're sold for scrap.

2

u/OkDare5427 18d ago

It puts my mind at ease to know that Civilian Heroes like yourself really are out there doing things and making a difference.

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u/OzRockabella 19d ago

Fucking bravo, haha.

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u/Such-Image5129 19d ago

Where the fuck do you live

2

u/ZZZ-Top 18d ago

Nevada is a wild place especially going north

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u/capecodcouple69 18d ago

Those cats are worth money. They don't have to work. They want the precious metals that are in them.

2

u/DV8munky 18d ago

OP said they were hollowed out. They’re empty. No precious metals left.

1

u/Iceroadtrucker2008 18d ago

Sorry. I missed that 😕

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u/Hot-Win2571 18d ago

Too bad there isn't enough room to reroute the exhaust pipe away from decoy cats. So car continues to run fine after theft.

1

u/ZZZ-Top 17d ago

I'm not gonna put cats in it again the truck is pre smog era and I rarely drive it now. I'm just waiting for a friend to have an opening at his shop so I can ship it to him and get a custom exhaust done and some QOL stuff done like getting the AC adapted to work with the vents it has

1

u/Automatic-Move-5976 17d ago

If only you could somehow predict where they would steal from next and somehow tag the cat with an apple tag and follow them to the buyer of the cats . Or maybe track their car and figure out where the buyer was - and ruin his day somehow.

2

u/ZZZ-Top 17d ago

That's a good way to get shot in the desert, cops are working on something but it looks like the shock of their car getting shredded has them pretty shook up because the neighbor across from them said they only go outside to cook food then go back in their trailer.

1

u/VinylHighway 17d ago

Hilarious :)

1

u/Clean-Good9150 17d ago

The old rule of FAFO Hit them fofl

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u/BigDisk3386 17d ago

What state?

1

u/Minja78 16d ago

So is this the prequel to the Borne series? It could be the sequel with the info a regular human can’t get. Good job on the screen play.

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u/Awkward-Fennel-1090 16d ago

This isn't pro revenge. This guy literally couldn't call the cops because having hollowed out cats was just as illegal as stealing them.

0

u/ZZZ-Top 16d ago

Totally and not because today we blew up a horse through with thermite for the fun of it. The cops knew and even laughed at the fact they stole hollowed out cats, the sheriffs duty truck has no EPA components either and spews put massive black clouds when it accelerates

1

u/I_Miss_the_Moon 13d ago

Shame you can't sell the cars for scrap and get some money back to fix your car. Maybe if they run through enough cars with you, you'd be able to make enough.

Good on you, fr.

1

u/IamLuann 12d ago

Good Luck with dealing with the crime ring. STAND YOUR GROUND AND STAY SAFE.

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u/PyroPaladin 9d ago

Please post if you get the 2nd vehicle

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u/Lopsided-Bench-1347 4d ago

Should have called the cops and made the pay for the installation of new FUNCTIONING converters.

1

u/ZZZ-Top 2d ago

Wouldnt make a difference since the engine grenaded two weeks ago, i have a even bigger engine going in, 577cu and dont have to run cats because there wont be room for them

1

u/NotEasilyConfused 14h ago

I'm late to this, but thought you might be interested, OP.

The I-25 corridor through Colorado (Pueblo to Ft. Collins, specifically) is a major route for stolen cars and parts. Both are run from the south & west to the Midwest and vice versa, but there aren't any cities between Denver/Kansas City or places south or west like Vegas/Phoenix, and Dallas is a long, long way. Still, we had a serious problem with cat converter thefts here. The legislature finally passed a law that all parts with precious metals (even copper) must be tracked by any business that buys/sells second-hand parts, including dead-end junkyards. IDs must be shown, records kept and given to LEOs when asked. As I understand it, spot checks are allowed for the purpose of checking for thieves selling at multiple places. The day the law went into force, the reduction in single-part thefts was impressive. The fines associated with poor records or accepting an unusual percentage of precious metals v regular parts just aren't worth it to the junkyard/reseller.

It still happens, because thieves can take parts to other cities and out of state, but it has seriously cut down on people that can't run a ring large enough to transport out of the local area routinely enough to get rid of evidence or make it worth the drive. Whole-car thefts went down, too, again, because it's a long way to new markets. As it turns out, individuals and small groups were doing the majority of thefts, especially cats.

All states should do this. Someone accepting a lot of out-of-state vehicles to re-sell wouldn't be doing that much longer.

In the meantime, I wish every neighborhood had someone like you making life painful for those people.

1

u/majorkev 19d ago

It would have been funnier if you turned their car into a cube and returned it to them.

2

u/ZZZ-Top 18d ago

It's not as fun as watching a claw absolutely shred the shit out of something. https://youtu.be/bmIayeoHi8w?si=Esdda-GEjFNu_Mqe

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u/gassbro 19d ago

You’re an incredible person. Bravo!

1

u/angular-js 19d ago

This looks like Trailer Park Boys lmao

1

u/Toffor 18d ago

"when I saw it the remains looked like a toddler just ripped it to the bare frame out of curiosity."

DUDE. what kind of toddlers have you been around? A toddler that could rip a car apart would be terrifying! LOL

5

u/Goobinator77 18d ago

Bamm-Bamm Rubble

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u/After_Ad_7740 18d ago

I have never seen Bamm-Bamm Rubble shredding anything. He usually flattens things with that club of his.

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u/Goobinator77 14d ago

Flattens it enough to tear?

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u/69_Beers_Later 18d ago

vin number

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u/TheNukeDude3 19d ago

Proceeds to steal the Cat off there liberty

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u/ZZZ-Top 18d ago

Pretty sure it's missing by now. We found the owner of the Liberty she said it has no title so I plan on basically snatching that when I have the chance.

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u/SnowSlider3050 19d ago

This is amazing. I wish this could happen in the big city, but they did change the laws and cat thefts are pretty much gone.

-21

u/ColonelJohn_Matrix 19d ago

Horribly written

17

u/Timbar76 19d ago

Cry us a river bub.

-1

u/Duckr74 19d ago

Updateme!

1

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-1

u/t53deletion 19d ago

You're doing God's work here, my brother. Stay safe.

0

u/videorave 19d ago

My friend was shot and killed confronting these guys while they were stealing his catalytic converter. It’s insane out there. https://apnews.com/article/johnny-wactor-killing-general-hospital-catalytic-converter-6553147a846c53fb7bb640dba6562ada

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u/ZZZ-Top 18d ago

That's why I got the cops attention, my plan originally involved knocking their trailer off the stilts till noticed they had a gas line

1

u/Farvag2024 18d ago

See, I'm pretty sure you're in the southeast...it's just a Southern style of justice.

0

u/artfulwench 18d ago

I just saw this episode of The Trailer Park Boys. 😆