Westchester County police arrested two men on Tuesday April 4th after they discovered two catalytic converters and an electric saw in their vehicle.
Israel Pieter and Adan Belliard were pulled over on Bronx River Road in Yonkers after being pursued by police starting on MacQuesten Parkway in Mount Vernon. The suspects’ car, a Volkswagen Jetta, had New Jersey plates. But the car was stolen from it’s New Jersey-owner while in Manhattan. Both Pieter and Belliard are residents of Manhattan.
During a search of the vehicle, Westchester County Police discovered two detached catalytic converters and an electric reciprocating saw (Sawzall).
The suspects, aged 25 and 30, were arraigned in Yonkers City Court on the day of their arrest. They are charged with both fourth-degree and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
Catalytic converter theft has been skyrocketing in Yonkers in the past two years. This arrest only adds to the staggering number of incidents that the Yonkers Police Department recently illustrated to the City Council. In response, the council is working on legislation to greater punish those that buy and traffic these stolen goods.
