Man caught stealing catalytic converters in Merced parking lot, police say

Merced Police officers arrested a Modesto man early Friday morning on suspicion of grand theft, possession of stolen property and possession of burglary tools.

Officers arrested Christopher Eleno Rodriguez, 38, around 3 a.m. Friday when police were called out to an apartment complex parking lot in the 3200 block of Nashville Court, according to a department news release.

When they arrived, officers found Rodriguez in the parking lot with a floor jack and a reciprocating saw, which can be used to cut through metal.

One of the officers also found a catalytic converter that had been cut from a vehicle in the parking lot. A witness identified Rodriguez and police booked him into the Merced County Jail on $101,500 bond.

Merced Police ask anyone with information about this crime to call Officer Jacob Paynter at 209-385-6905 or write to paynterj@cityofmerced.org.