GLENWOOD, Ill. – Police in a suburb south of Chicago seized 128 stolen catalytic converters in a chop shop bust, authorities said Friday.
According to a news release from the Glenwood Police Department, officers and detectives said the value of the stolen catalytic converters was approximately $54,000.
Officers also seized a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, reciprocating saws and a loaded .45-caliber handgun and magazines. Illicit funds were also confiscated, WLS-TV reported.
Police said the shop was being rented via identity theft, WBBM-TV reported. The stolen property was found in a private residence, according to WGN-TV.
“It’s really kind of shocking,” Lanita Tyson, who lives in the neighborhood, told WLS. “It’s a really quiet area over here, so no. I wouldn’t have thought anything like that would’ve been over here.”
Neighbors said the raid happened Tuesday, according to the television station.
“You choose where you live because you think of the safety issues, and I guess that’s the reason why they chose this area, too, because it’s so quiet and this would be the last place people would think something like this would happen,” Tyson told WLS.
It is unclear whether there have been any arrests or whether police have identified suspects, according to the television station.
