Rowlett PD just arrested the guy who was stealing catalytic converters in our neighborhood

Good news for once. Rowlett PD arrested a suspect connected to at least 8 catalytic converter thefts in the Liberty Grove and Princeton Park neighborhoods over the past two months.

The details from the Rowlett PD press release:

• Suspect is a 34-year-old male from Garland
• Arrested Tuesday morning during a traffic stop on Dalrock Rd
• Officers found a reciprocating saw, jack, and two catalytic converters in the truck bed
• The converters were later matched to vehicles reported stolen from in the Liberty Grove area
• Suspect has been charged with multiple counts of theft of property under Texas Penal Code 31.03

How he was caught:

• A Liberty Grove resident installed a Ring doorbell camera after their converter was stolen and captured the suspect's truck on video during a return visit two weeks later
• The resident shared the footage with Rowlett PD and on the Rowlett Community Facebook group
• Multiple residents identified the same truck from previous incidents
• Rowlett PD located the vehicle and conducted the stop on Dalrock

The victims:

• 8 confirmed thefts: 5 in Liberty Grove, 3 in Princeton Park
• Primary targets were Toyota Tundras, Toyota Tacomas, and Honda Accords — these vehicles have higher ground clearance and more valuable converters
• Estimated total damage/loss across all victims: $12,000-16,000 (converter replacement runs $1,500-2,000 per vehicle)

Prevention:

• If you have a truck or SUV, consider a catalytic converter shield/lock (about $200 installed)
• Park in a garage if possible
• Ring/Wyze cameras pointed at your driveway are the best deterrent
• Join the Rowlett Community Crime Watch on Facebook — it is how this guy got caught

This is what community policing looks like. Resident captures footage, shares it, police follow up, arrest made. Rowlett PD deserves credit for actually acting on the tips.