Toyota owners in south Montgomery County have one suspected catalytic converter thief off the road. Montgomery County deputies arrested a parole suspect on Oct. 5 after a traffic stop turned up eight catalytic converters, allegedly cut from Toyotas, in the trunk of his vehicle.
Deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office South Patrol Command responded that day to a suspicious person call in the 25100 block of Panther Bend Court, after a caller reported someone removing an item from under a parked vehicle before leaving the area. When deputies arrived, they found that vehicle’s catalytic converter missing, MCSO said.
About an hour later, deputies spotted a vehicle matching the suspect’s description heading toward I-45 and initiated a traffic stop. During a search of the trunk, deputies say they found eight catalytic converters, all reportedly from Toyota vehicles, along with a Hackzall reciprocating saw and saw blades.
The suspect, identified by MCSO as Jon Eric Wallace, was on parole from an unrelated criminal conviction. He was booked on a charge of unauthorized possession of catalytic converters, with bond set at $25,000. Wallace is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.