Police: Man tried to steal catalytic converters from cars at Bridgewater scrap yard

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — Bridgewater Police on Friday arrested a man for trying to steal catalytic converters from cars at a scrap yard.

Police said the owner of Best Auto Parts on Old Plymouth Street called 911 to report the theft around 3:45 p.m.

The owner told police he spotted a man “tinkering” with a car in his fenced-in scrap yard. The owner said when he yelled to the man, the man threw a big blue canvas over the fence and ran into the woods behind the scrap yard.

Police swarmed in the area and brought in K-9s to help locate the man. After an extensive search, they arrested Jesse Masse, 29, of East Bridgewater.

Police said Masse had parked his car in the parking lot of an adjacent pizza shop. Detectives obtained a search warrant and said they located catalytic converters in Masse’s car, as well as several tools commonly used to remove the catalytic converters.

>>Rash of catalytic converter thefts confusing car owners in Boston, several Mass. communities

Masse was held without bail through the weekend. He was arraigned in Brockton District Court on Monday on charges of trespassing, breaking and entering in the daytime for a felony, possessing a burglarous instrument, attempted larceny, receiving stolen property and malicious damage to a motor vehicle.

Cox Media Group