Hollister Police used the city’s traffic camera network to identify and arrest two suspects who had recently stolen a catalytic converter from a victim’s vehicle, authorities said.
On Feb. 2, a Hollister Police officer responded to and documented a reported theft of a catalytic converter that had occurred in the early morning hours, says a press release from the Hollister PD. With the help of video surveillance footage from the city’s Flock Safety License Plate Reader cameras, officer developed a lead related to a vehicle that left the area at the time of the theft.
The suspicious vehicle was registered to a home in Merced, police said.
At about 2am Feb. 4, another Hollister police officer responded to an alert from the Flock system, indicating the suspicious vehicle had reentered the City of Hollister, police said. The officer located the vehicle about 3:22am and conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of Bridgevale and Graf roads. Two people were in the vehicle.
While contacting the occupants during the traffic stop, officers observed a catalytic converter—a common and expensive auto part that is often targeted for theft—in plain view on the rear seat of the vehicle, police said. That observation gave police probable cause to search the vehicle, which resulted in the recovery of the catalytic converter, burglary tools, controlled substances and drug paraphernalia.
Investigators think the catalytic converter had been stolen during another unreported theft earlier that night.
The driver, David Baker, 30, of Merced and passenger Mee Xiong, 38, of Merced, were arrested and booked on suspicion of grand theft, conspiracy to commit a felony, possession of burglary tools, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Xiong was determined to be on active probation out of Merced, police said.
