BERKELEY, CA — Police say they recovered 11 catalytic converters during an apparently chaotic but brief chase of a suspect through Berkeley early Thursday morning.
Officers responded just before 3:30 a.m. to the 2500 block of College Avenue after someone reported a possible catalytic converter theft, according to the Berkeley Police Department.
When they arrived at the scene, officers saw a white Infiniti sedan being driven southbound on College Avenue without its front license plate, police said.
When the officer tried to get the driver to stop, they sped off, turning westbound onto Russell Street and then entering an off-street parking lot in the Elmwood neighborhood, police said.
The officer covered the only exit, police said, creating a dead-end in the parking lot for the suspect. Rather than surrender, the suspect slowed toward the officer’s car and then suddenly sped up, police said.
The suspect then continued speeding toward the officer’s car before suddenly swerving at the last moment onto a raised curb, police said, adding that the maneuver enabled the suspect exit the lot.
Officers briefly continued pursue the suspect before losing sight of them near Ashby Avenue in the Claremont area, police said.
The suspect ditched the vehicle along Parkside Drive and left the scene, police said, although officers later found it with the help of an Automated License Plate Reader.
Inside, officers found 11 stolen catalytic converters, a floor jack and several power tools often used to steal car converters, police said.
“Although the suspects may have evaded arrest that day, our officers will remain vigilant and committed to deterring and apprehending those who target our community,” police said in a statement Friday.