LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A night out to dinner in eastern Jefferson County, ended up costing a local couple a lot more once they walked to their car.
The two were hosting some family in town, when they drove off from dinner and noticed something wasn't right and missing.
"We decided to go out to eat instead of eating here," Liz Waters of Louisville said.
It started as a normal Friday night for Liz Waters and her husband.
"We went in, had a drink, ate," Waters said.
However, when they left the Bristol Bar and Grille off Hurstbourne, they noticed something was wrong.
"The muffler was hanging down on the ground and the catalytic converter was gone, gone, gone," she said.
Waters said it looks as though the thief was able to take their catalytic converter with ease while they were eating.
"It was a clean cut, probably a handheld skill saw or something," she said.
It's something Sergeant George Jetter with the St. Matthews police department is seeing happen across the city but says it's a crime that's hard to avoid.
"There's really nothing definitive that you could do to prevent this from happening. However, being able to park in well lit areas or parking closer to where you are," Jetter said.
But even the best of the rules are proving tough to follow. Waters did park in a busy lot and they left at 7:45 p.m., before it got dark that night.
Jetter says there's been a decrease in catalytic converter thefts recently but they're still seeing at least three to four reports a month in St. Matthews. Noting the average price these stolen parts are selling for is over $150.
"When they cut over here, the pipe fell down," Waters said.
She said her nerves coming off the situation are heightened.
"Makes me reluctant to go out to eat again, to go anywhere. You know, I went to Kroger yesterday. And I'm like, looking around," Waters explained.
Jetter said if this happens to you, call first responders, and don't get involved.
"If you find someone that's actually in the process of removing the catalytic converter, you absolutely need to call 911 and not confront the individual," he said.
For now, Waters is keeping an extra eye out, hoping this never happens again.
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