East Texas car repair shop accused of stealing catalytic converters from customers | KAMR
TITUS COUNTY, Texas (KETK) – The Titus County Sheriff’s Workplace is warning the public right after several prospects from a neighborhood vehicle repair store documented misconduct including stolen catalytic converters and misuse of their motor vehicles.
On April 26, TCSO performed numerous investigations linked to suspicious thefts and utilization of many customers’ cars immediately after they remaining them at a neighborhood mechanic known as Beetle Store at 565 CR 2430 at the intersection of FM 899.
In the 1st instance, a customer had still left a car or truck at Beetle Store for repairs unrelated to the exhaust system. The consumer later found out that the catalytic converters experienced been stolen from their automobile and ended up changed with a segment of an exhaust pipe, officials said.
In the 2nd occasion, a client remaining a vehicle at the Beetle Shop for repairs. In accordance to officials, the customer’s motor vehicle had GPS monitoring and an investigation identified that quite a few thousand miles had been included to the odometer driven by a purported mechanic by the title of Michael Ray Whitaker, a 52-12 months-aged from Titus County.
Deputies arrested Whitaker at that time for unauthorized use of a motor motor vehicle.
Then just about a month later on May perhaps 25, the TCSO obtained a different grievance from a buyer who experienced still left their vehicle at the Beetle Shop for repairs. The 3rd client allegedly identified that the catalytic converters had been stolen from the automobile and some style of substitute pipe experienced been installed wherever the converters experienced been.
Whitaker was arrested by the TCSO deputies on Thursday on a felony indictment for the alleged theft. He was taken to the Titus County Jail in which he is ready for arraignment.
“Titus County Sheriff’s Business would not commonly article facts with regards to how enterprises operate in Titus County nevertheless in this situation, we feel there is a powerful want to make the community mindful of the repetitive offenses linked to customers’ motor vehicles who leave their cars at the Beetle Shop for repairs,” said TCSO in a Fb article.
TSCO said that the investigation is still ongoing.