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Paul McNamee, 55, of Passaic and Felipa Giles, 27, of Paterson were charged Monday with grand larceny, auto stripping, and criminal mischief, following a cross-country investigation into the thefts, said Det. Lt. Mark Emma with the Ramapo Police Department.
Their arrests follow a recent warning by Ramapo Police about a rash of catalytic converters thefts from vehicles which are then sold to recyclers for quick cash.
To nail the suspects, Ramapo officers worked closely with nearby jurisdictions, including Orangetown Police Department, Clarkstown Police Department, and the Town Of Haverstraw Police Department, as well as New Jersey agencies, police said.
During the investigation, Ramapo detectives working on the case alerted a New Jersey law enforcement agency of possible criminal activity involving catalytic converter thefts in their jurisdiction. That agency responded and several suspects were arrested. The investigation continued, and Ramapo was able to determine that these were the same suspects responsible for thefts in the Town of Ramapo, Emma said.
"Both were arrested a while ago, but they waived their right to extradition and we were able to pick them up," Emma said.
Both are being held at the Rockland County Jail.
A third suspect, a 29-year-old also from Paterson, is currently being held in a New Jersey correctional facility on other charges. He is also charged with the same crimes as his two accomplices.
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