Surveillance video captured a brazen catalytic converter theft in a Chicago business parking lot just as the workday was coming to an end.
Laura Poskus had not expected to end her workday by witnessing a group of four thieves steal from her. They arrived in less than three minutes with a jack and a Sawzall.
“As I look out the window, I see two people next to my car. I’m going, ‘What are they doing next to my car?'” she said. “And I literally screamed and scared my coworker.”
Poskus works in Portage Park for the candy company Arway Confections. Last Wednesday, thieves stole the catalytic converter from her Honda CRV in their parking lot.
“They’re so lackadaisical about it. They don’t even seem to be in that big a rush. You know what I mean, just like meh,” Poskus said.
In the video, two thieves work to remove the desired part while two others keep an eye on a black Audi sedan with another catalytic converter in the trunk.
The crew is armed, according to police, and in the video, you can see the person on the right reaching into his jacket while looking around.
According to police, the offenders are responsible for at least six catalytic converter thefts on the Northwest Side in the last week. Vehicle owners have been threatened with guns in some of the crimes, but in this case, the crew stole Poskus’ catalytic converter without a fight.
In the video, they toss it into the trunk of the Audi, along with the jack, and drive away.
“People who need to get to and from work and use that vehicle to get to and from their jobs, middle class people, they cannot afford that,” Poskus said.
Poskus even followed law enforcement advice to prevent this type of crime by having police spray paint her VIN number on the part with a stencil to make it identifiable, but the thieves still took it.
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