Oct. 28, 2021—An Alabama body shop was the target of local catalytic converter thieves, WKRG reported. 

Cockrell’s Body Shop, located in Robertsdale, Ala., had nine catalytic converters stolen off customers' cars. Six were taken by the thieves with the other three left on the ground. It will cost about $19,000 to replace, shop owner Mike Hawthorne said. 

“The worst part of it,” Hawthorne told the outlet, “[is] people are here not because they want to be, they’ve already gone through something and to have to call and tell them there’s another step back and add something wrong with their car.”

Hawthorne expressed his frustration to WKRG adding that its time for the people buying stolen converters to be held accountable. 

“We need to be able to go back, call these recycle yards and say yes a person actually brought in eight yesterday here’s his paperwork, here’s his address, here’s his name at least something like that would have a decent effect,” Hawthorne said.