Westchester District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah has announced a 24-count indictment of five men in connection with the countywide theft of 56 van and bus catalytic converters with a fair market value of more than $50,000.
The arrests follow a year-long investigation by 13 law enforcement agencies. The five men are alleged to have participated in a stealing spree from November 2021 through last March. The catalytic convertors were stolen from Ford Econoline vans, Royal Coach Lines buses, and school buses in Briarcliff, Greenburgh, Peekskill, Pelham and Yonkers on 11 different occasions, and at least 42 of the catalytic converters were recovered in a Bronx scrap yard.
“This case sends a clear message that Westchester County is cracking down on catalytic converter thefts, a nationwide scourge plaguing car owners with thousands of dollars in replacement costs and damages,” said Roach. “I applaud the efforts taken by the criminal investigators in my office and all of our law enforcement partners in continuing to protect Westchester residents and businesses from fraud and theft.”
The five men charged in the crime were Timothy Jimenez, 24, Christian Ancrum, 23, and Jason Vargas, 19, all of New Rochelle; Joealen Garcia, 31, of Orlando, Florida; and Nicholas Luzardi, 23, of New Rochelle.
