The theft of catalytic converters is a problem around the country. View Full Caption Shutterstock

COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — Chicagoans who have suffered the pain of having their pricey catalytic converters stolen from under their cars will appreciate the finely-tuned hearing of a few Chicago police officers.

Two officers driving down Augusta Boulevard in Ukrainian Village early Thursday "heard the distinct sound of a reciprocating saw cutting metal" as they passed a car, according to a police report.

They stopped to investigate — and saw a 27-year-old man crawl out from under a 2005 Honda Element, the report said.

The man ran south on Ashland, but police soon found him. He was lying face down in bushes outside Wells High School at 936 N. Ashland Ave., police said.

Jamel Chavours was caught cutting a catalytic converter out of a car in Ukrainian Village, police said. View Full Caption Chicago Police

A reciprocating saw — commonly known as a Sawzall — was found nearby, the report said.

When police returned to the Honda, they found one pipe leading to the catalytic converter had been sawed through, and the other side was cut halfway, the report said.

Police arrested the suspect, Jamel K. Chavours, of the 4000 block of West Iowa Street. Chavours, whose occupation in a police report was listed as "cat burglar," was charged with criminal damage to property, according to the report.

Catalytic converters, part of the car's emissions control and exhaust system, are prized for the precious metals they contain and the relative ease of taking them off of a car, which can be accomplished in about a minute.

Thieves can resell the parts for as much as $1,000, depending on the make and model of the car. But replacing the part can be almost twice as expensive, with some repair shops charging as much as $2,000, police said.



Metal recycling shops are required by law to only accept catalytic converters with proper documentation from the car's owners, police said.

The Honda Element is one of the cars targeted most. The others are the Toyota 4-Runner and Jeep Grand Cherokee, police said.

There have been rashes of thefts around the city, including in Jefferson Park and North Lawndale.

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