ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis father said he's been waiting for months for police to catch a catalytic converter thief. He said the thief stole it from his daughter's car in south city in February.
Now the father, Ronald Keefe, said they've been waiting for the police to take action.
“I just feel like something needs to be done about this," he said.
It all started on Saturday, Feb. 25. Keefe said his daughter was walking out of her apartment on Loughborough Avenue in St. Louis Hills when she called him after starting her car. She told him it didn't sound right, and that's when he knew what happened.
Keefe said their landlord was able to provide them with surveillance footage, which showed it all.
“You can see the guy at 2:40 in the morning, coming over to my daughter’s car, backing up, parking, getting out, taking the catalytic converter off the car, and then you can see him running back to his van," Keefe said. “The van is very noticeable, it’s got some distinctive features and so does the individual.”
Keefe said the original police response was fast, but the follow-up fell through.
“To this day, as far as I know, we haven’t been contacted, there’s been no updates on what’s happened," he said.
Keefe said the cost to repair and restore was $1,500. He said his daughter, a graduate student, was shaken by the whole thing.
“She was certainly rattled about the situation, and that this could happen right in front of their house without even hearing it, this guy sawing this thing off," he said.
Looking back, Keefe said the theft took minutes, but every development since couldn't be slower.
“I would certainly like a resolution of some sort, that would be the best-case scenario," he said.
5 On Your Side did reach out to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. A public information officer confirmed a report was filed, but said, "It appears the investigation is still ongoing with no arrest made yet. As such, I have nothing further at this time."