Authorities arrested two crews of suspected catalytic converter thieves — all out-of-county residents — in separate incidents this week in Camarillo and Oxnard.
At around 1:15 a.m. Thursday, deputies responded to a reported catalytic converter theft in Camarillo. A neighbor provided a description of the suspect vehicle and which way it had gone, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, which provides police services in the city.
Patrol deputies pulled over the car near Pleasant Valley Road and Highway 101. While contacting the three occupants, deputies saw catalytic converters and saw blades in the rear of the vehicle, officials said. A search turned up five catalytic converters, a Dewalt saw with multiple blades, three sets of gloves and some heroin, the agency reported.