A bill geared toward instituting harder consequences on catalytic converter robbery is winding its means throughout the Texas Legislature and attracts its identify from a Harris County deputy who was once fatally shot whilst seeking to forestall somebody from stealing his converter.
The Senate Criminal Justice Committee remaining week unanimously authorized sending Senate Bill 224 to the ground for a vote. The measure will most probably seem within the subsequent week or so earlier than all of the Senate, in step with Jacob Ayers-Briseño, a spokesman for state Sen. Carol Alvardo, who backed the bill.
“I want people to know this could happen to anyone,” mentioned Flor Zarzoza-Almendarez, the spouse of Harris County Deputy Darren Almendarez, when requested concerning the proposed bill now bearing her husband’s identify.
If authorized, Senate Bill 224 would make it a prison to thieve a catalytic converter, would make it unlawful to own a catalytic converter got rid of from a automobile except on an inventory of companies allowed to own it and would permit prosecutors to carry arranged crime fees in opposition to the ones engaged within the thefts, amongst different measures.
MORE ON BILL’S BACKGROUND: Catalytic converter thieves may just face prison fees below Houston lawmakers’ proposed new expenses
The proposed law comprises sides of Senate Bill 465, which was once to begin with filed through Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and Senate Bill 432, filed through Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, officers mentioned.
The Houston area noticed a spike in catalytic converter thefts throughout the first part of 2022, in step with legislation enforcement mavens. Two males, for example, have been charged with capital homicide in reference to the deadly taking pictures of Almendarez.
Joshua Stewart and Fredarius Clark have been charged on suspicion of the taking pictures out of doors a Joe V’s grocery retailer that left Almendarez lifeless. Almendarez returned fireplace, hanging each males.
The males allegedly were below the deputy’s truck, making an attempt to thieve his catalytic converter within the parking zone when the off-duty deputy approached their black Nissan Altima.
Almendarez, 51, were assigned to the workplace’s auto robbery department, and were tasked with investigating catalytic converter thefts, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez mentioned.
In a dialog with the Chronicle about her testimony in toughen of the bill, Zarzoza-Almendarez mentioned her husband beloved the paintings he did and that she sought after his lifestyles to have intended one thing.
“I want his loss not to be in vain,” she mentioned. “He stopped them from doing that to someone else.”
Zarzoza-Almendarez cited the truth that one of the vital folks charged in her husband’s loss of life additionally has been accused in a separate assault two weeks earlier than the deadly taking pictures. A person testified he armed himself with a gun and faced a person status close to his automobile, when two males crawled out from below the truck and shot him. They were making an attempt to thieve his catalytic converter, he mentioned.
Thieves goal the converters as a result of they include 3 valuable metals: platinum, palladium and rhodium.
Prices for the metals have soared throughout the pandemic as a result of provide shortages and higher international call for from automobile makers, mentioned Houston Officer Oscar Gamez, who works within the steel thefts unit that investigates stolen converters.
Houston Astros enthusiasts mentioned 4 catalytic converters have been stolen as they celebrated the group’s World Series victory in 2022.
The spike has led the Houston City Council to prohibit the sale of used emissions-control units.
But Harris County isn’t the one house within the area to peer the spike. Fort Bend County now outranks another primary Texas counties in studies of the crime.
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