Men arrested in connection with theft of catalytic converters

by BRIAN NADIG

Two men who were arrested in connection with the theft of catalytic converters near Belmont and Racine avenues are being investigated for a similar incident in Portage Park in which Alderman John Arena (45th) confronted two individuals.

A mission team in the 19th (Town Hall) District arrested two men on Sept. 26 after they were seen carrying a reciprocating saw and looking into parked cars in an alley, according to police. Seven catalytic converters were recovered, police said.

It was learned later that the license plate number of the suspects’ vehicle matched a number which Arena gave police in July when he reported seeing a man carrying a catalytic converter get out from underneath a parked van in the 4100 block of North Leclaire Avenue, police said. Arena followed the men and took the plate number of their vehicle.

The suspects were identified by police as Donzel Jenkins, age 21, of the 2800 block of South Birch Road, Homewood, and Melvin Griffin, age 21, with no known address.

There have been a large number of catalytic converter thefts in the city and nearby suburbs recently.