Catalytic Converter Theft Video

jd415

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Someone posted this to my local NextDoor neighborhood page. Finally someone with an actual decent camera instead of the garbage Ring that you barely see someone's face. Keep in mind Nextdoor compresses the video, I downloaded the video and then uploaded to Youtube which also degrades the quality.

 

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wittaj

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WOW a whole crew and prepared to move cameras and what would happen if the owner went out without a firearm.

And were the cars stolen too LOL. Seemed kinda nice to be up to theft.
 

Griswalduk

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Being from the uk I'm not up to speed with the gun laws there. Would the home owner be within his / her rights to take a few of them out. Looks like they are swamping the area and banking on safety in numbers. A firearm and training would be a great equalizer.

It does indeed look like the same crew
 

garycrist

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The reason for so many scopes on the rifles down here in Texas is not for deer hunting.
It is because when we protect our neighbors, we can reach out and touch someone!

When we go hunting we only load 2 rounds into the magazine. But, when we get back
to the car, we change out to a 30 round magazine. Because the next animal we meet
will be loaded too.

R E S...Pect (Aretha Franklin)
 

TonyR

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"Gone in 60 Seconds".......plus a few more seconds.
They don't care about the bright floods either so I'll bet they scope the targets out very well in advance so they know when no one is home.
Again...go after the scrap dealers that take in these CATs. Dry up the market, no more demand.
 

SyconsciousAu

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That makes me feel a little better about the grubs trying car door handles around here.

Again...go after the scrap dealers that take in these CATs. Dry up the market, no more demand.
Locally you need ID to sell to a scrap metal merchant. Unfortunately it doesn't stop the grubs steeling stuff, but it does make it easier for the Police to gather evidence to lock them up.
 
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Would the home owner be within his / her rights to take a few of them out.
This is in California, so no. And generally, using deadly force to protect property is very hard to defend, even in Texas. The relevant law is Texas Penal Code Section 9.42 and as explained by Texas Law Shield, you would undoubtably be arrested and a jury would determine your fate. Section 9.41 states you can use force (not deadly force) to stop theft of your property, more or less. Texas Penal Code Section 9.42 describes the many legal hurdles that a person must overcome. This section requires three separate reasonable belief standards be met, meaning a jury will have their work cut out for them.

First, a jury will have to determine is you were justified using force under Section 9.41.


Second, the jury must decide whether you had a reasonable belief that deadly force was immediately necessary to prevent the imminent commission of theft during the nighttime, or if deadly force was used to prevent a person who was fleeing immediately after the commission of theft during the nighttime from escaping with the property.

Third and finally, a jury will have to agree that you reasonably believed the property could not have been protected or recovered by other means or that using something less than deadly force would expose you to a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury. In discussions with their lawyers, it is my understanding that if you have insurance then the theft can be 'recovered' by your insurance.

If a jury finds that your actions were immediately necessary and reasonable under all three of these requirements, only then would you be legally justified.

I suppose that if you heard a noise outside and you went to investigate, or you just happened to stumble upon them cutting your CC out, and you happened to be armed at the time, and they had weapons, or the shear number of them present made you reasonable believe that using less that deadly force would expose you to a substantial risk of death, then the jury may find in your favor.
 

TonyR

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I suppose that if you heard a noise outside and you went to investigate, or you just happened to stumble upon them cutting your CC out, and you happened to be armed at the time, and they had weapons, or the shear number of them present made you reasonable believe that using less that deadly force would expose you to a substantial risk of death, then the jury may find in your favor.
It would probably be OK here in AL if after I dropped 2 of 'em, then throw a CAT through my picture window then drug at least one of 'em over the threshold and into the living room....

"Yes, your honor, I was in fear of my life and my family's safety....I reasoned that if they'd do that knowing I was home then they weren't planning on leaving any witnesses. I would rather my friends visit me in jail than at the cemetery." :idk:
 

fergenheimer

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Anyone know how much a cat goes for? A lot of the california DAs were not even prosecuting anything less than $950. I'm sure that a replacement one cost more but a "used" value might be less than the DA is willing to prosecute. Divide that by 7 perps and there might not be a lot of money in it.
 

wittaj

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