UNION COUNTY, N.C. — The Union County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a death investigation after a man was killed while attempting to steal a catalytic converter Wednesday evening.
Deputies responded to a residence on West Unionville – Indian Trail Road around 5:45 p.m. to investigate the death. Upon arrival, detectives found a man dead underneath a Toyota Prius sedan, which was one of many vehicles in the driveway of the residence.
Through an investigation, detectives found evidence that indicates the man was in the process of cutting off and stealing the catalytic converter belonging to the Toyota Prius prior to his death.
The findings on scene indicated that at some point during the cutting of the exhaust pipe, the vehicle fell off of the automotive jack and on top of him, according to the sheriff’s office. The man was not a resident of the home where he was located.
The sheriff’s office will not release the identity of the man at this time due to the ongoing investigation being conducted.
“The UCSO hopes that the distribution of this information will highlight the dangers associated with the theft of motor vehicle parts and will serve to discourage anyone actively involved in this type of criminal activity,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “A catalytic converter and the small amount of scrap value it holds is not worth the risk of losing your life.”