Aurora men accused of stealing more than 35 catalytic converters
Two Aurora men have been charged with stealing catalytic converters from more than 35 vehicles across northern Illinois.
Pedro Villegas-Mendoza, 22, and Octavio Goytia, 28, were both charged with two counts of theft greater than $10,000 and one count of aggravated possession of a stolen motor vehicle, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office said in a news release Wednesday.
Villegas-Mendoza was also charged with 38 counts of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and 38 counts of burglary. Goytia was also charged with 36 counts of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and 36 counts of burglary.
The most serious charges carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison after a conviction.
Bail was set at $350,000 for each. Villegas-Mendoza and Goytia next will appear in court Aug. 14.
In documents filed in DuPage County court, Raoul said that from August 2021 to March 2022, Villegas-Mendoza and Goytia stole catalytic converters from vehicles across Cook, DuPage, Kane, Will, DeKalb, Lake, McHenry and Winnebago counties. The pair lifted the vehicles with a jack - often in broad daylight - and cut the converters out with a saw, Raoul alleges.
Catalytic converters help reduce emissions. They contain platinum, palladium and rhodium, which thieves sell for a profit.
"While a vehicle can still operate without a catalytic converter, removing it will release toxic gases and pollutants into the air," Raoul said.