Two men were arrested early Thursday morning after they were caught trying to steal a catalytic converter from a vehicle at an Anderson auto repair shop, police said.

The attempted theft has become an all-too-common occurrence across the country in recent years as the expensive emissions control device is a favorite target of thieves due to the expensive precious metals in it and the cost to replace it.

Lawmakers in California, which leads the country in claims for the automotive part, have introduced several bills to deter thefts. Some auto shops last year were seeing so many cars that needed the catalytic converter replaced, they were turning away customers.

On Thursday around 4:30 a.m., an Anderson police officer was on patrol on West Center Street when he noticed a vehicle parked near a mechanics shop.

“The officer was aware that this shop had been the victim of multiple thefts in the last several weeks related to catalytic converters and fuel,” the Anderson Police Department said on Facebook.

A man later identified as Eric Cooley, 55, of Redding, got out of the parked vehicle and walked over to another vehicle parked at the repair shop before getting on his back to get underneath the vehicle, investigators said.

When the officer walked to the business, Cooley started to quickly walk away from the vehicle and then told the officer he was attempting to find a place to urinate, investigators said.

The officer also located a passenger in Cooley’s vehicle who investigators believe was acting as a lookout for Cooley.

Police said that inside Cooley’s vehicle was a reciprocating saw and a vehicle jack. Reciprocating saws are often used to cut catalytic converters off the undercarriage of a vehicle.

Cooley and the passenger, Anthony Taylor, 33, of Redding, were arrested on suspicion of attempted grand theft, possession of burglary tools, and tampering with a vehicle.

Last April, Anderson police sought the public's help in solving a string of thefts involving catalytic converters dating to November 2020.

How prevalent are catalytic converter thefts?

State Farm Insurance said in 2021 the number of catalytic converter theft claims it processed nationally jumped 1,171% from 2019.

And many of the claims were in California.

State Farm did not have numbers for Shasta County, but Jeff Avery, a State Farm agent in Redding, said his office has seen an increase in catalytic converter theft claims.

“I advise my customers, if you can, park the vehicle indoors and if you can’t, it’s definitely worth investing in a security device that you can put on the catalytic converter,” Avery said.

Mac Girtler, the service manager at Bryant Automotive in Redding, said depending on the vehicle, a protective cage around a catalytic converter costs between $200 and $300 for the part and installation.

Catalytic converters are costly to replace, ranging from $1,500 to $3,000. Thieves sometimes will steal them and post them for sale online for a much cheaper price.

Girtler said catalytic converters on Japanese and Korean cars are especially popular because they are more expensive and easier to steal.

It can take only a few minutes for a thief to saw the converter off the vehicle and walk away, Girtler said.

“I have been in the industry for 16 years and there was a huge spat of catalytic converter thefts about a decade ago and I feel they really dropped off and recently started back up,” he said.

Demand to replace stolen catalytic converters and old ones that have failed was high last year, Girtler said. So much so that they were turning work away because they had trouble getting the part, which was exacerbated by supply chain issues.

But so far this year, Girtler said they have yet to replace a stolen catalytic converter.

“Whereas last year, I probably had done four to five at this point,” he said.

But he could only speak for Bryant Automotive, he said.

Several bills to address the rise of catalytic converter thefts in California have been introduced by lawmakers.

One of the latest is Senate Bill 919, which would require the emissions control devices to receive vehicle identification numbers, create more stringent rules for their sale and increase fines and jail time for stealing them.

In February, a law went into effect in Carlsbad in San Diego County that makes it illegal for anyone other than a core recycler to possess the automotive part without valid proof of ownership, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Proof must include license plate number and VIN of the car from which the part was removed.

David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-225-8219. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.