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The catalytic converters were found on Tuesday, April 4, around 4:45 a.m., when police began searching for a stolen 2022 Volkswagen Jetta with New Jersey plates in Mount Vernon on North MacQuesten Parkway.
Soon after, the Jetta was found on Mount Vernon Avenue, and an officer began following it while waiting for backup.
Eventually, several officers were able to box the car in on Bronx River Road in Yonkers, according to the Westchester County Police Department.
Once it was stopped, the vehicle, which was later revealed to have been stolen out of Manhattan and owned by a resident of Jersey City, New Jersey, was found to have contained two stolen catalytic converters in the trunk. Officers also found a saw and blades in the back seat of the vehicle, according to Westchester County PD.
The two suspects who had been in the stolen Jetta, identified as Manhattan residents Israel Pieter, age 25, and Adan Belliard, age 30, were charged with the following:
- Fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property;
- Fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
Both men were arraigned in Yonkers City Court on Tuesday.
Detectives are now working to discover where the stolen catalytic converters came from, according to police.
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