One of the accused, who had two daughters, allegedly sexually exploited and threatened the eldest, superintendent of police Yavatmal Dilip Bhujbal Patil said.
As of Thursday morning, it is unclear how many of the catalytic converters were stolen specifically from Santa Clarita.
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies have made several arrests within the last month connected to catalytic converter thefts. However, it is unknown if the past suspects had any connection to the individuals arrested in Wednesday’s operation.
Catalytic converters are attached to a car’s exhaust system, and are targeted because they contain precious metals and can be “scrapped” for a quick profit, according to Arriaga.
The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station has partnered with the City of Santa Clarita and launched “Guard That Auto” campaign to combat the increase in grand theft auto and catalytic converter thefts, according to Arriaga.