Yahoo Autos Jay Leno Goes Off On Los Angeles Theft Trend
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After the tragic murder of General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor at the hands of some catalytic converter thieves, comedian Jay Leno is coming out swinging against the soft on crime approach in Los Angeles. We didn’t have this on our 2024 bingo cards but we’re here for it.
Watch a catalytic converter thief get trapped by a forklift.
Speaking to TMZ, Leno made some excellent points. First, he noted that if a vehicle owner were to chop the catalytic converter off his car in California, he would be facing some steep fines. However, as long as thieves steal cats worth less than $950 they get a slap on the wrist if caught.
That disparity hardly seems just, and yet that’s how the justice system in Los Angeles and a fair number of other cities runs.
Leno also elaborated on what a financial pain having your catalytic converter stolen is. After all, the replacement can cost thousands of dollars since the thieves use a Sawzall to chop it off quickly. Plus, there’s a shortage of cats thanks to steep demand because thieves are stealing so many of them.
Johnny Wactor, who had a role on General Hospital, was shot dead by catalytic converter thieves in the early morning hours of May 25. He was walking a coworker from his side job to her car when he spotted the thieves doing something to his vehicle. When he asked what they were up to, the thieves produced a gun and shot him, then took off.
Since then, no arrests have been made and authorities haven’t even provided descriptions of the suspects to the public.
We knew it was only a matter of time before the essentially unchecked theft of cars, wheels, catalytic converters, etc. in cities like Los Angeles would go so far people would cry for more law and order. However, we didn’t expect Jay Leno to help lead the charge, although we’re grateful he is.
After all, Leno has incredible sway within the powerful entertainment industry and in the car hobby, so he could do more to push for a solution than most average people.
Image via jaylenosgarage/Instagram
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