East Texas car repair shop accused of stealing catalytic converters from customers

TITUS COUNTY, Texas (KETK) – The Titus County Sheriff’s Business office is warning the public right after many clients from a neighborhood auto maintenance shop documented misconduct together with stolen catalytic converters and misuse of their motor vehicles.

On April 26, TCSO carried out many investigations similar to suspicious thefts and use of several customers’ automobiles following they remaining them at a area mechanic known as Beetle Shop at 565 CR 2430 at the intersection of FM 899.

In the 1st occasion, a consumer experienced remaining a auto at Beetle Store for repairs unrelated to the exhaust system. The purchaser later found that the catalytic converters had been stolen from their car and ended up replaced with a section of an exhaust pipe, officers explained.

In the second instance, a buyer still left a vehicle at the Beetle Store for repairs. In accordance to officers, the customer’s vehicle had GPS monitoring and an investigation discovered that various thousand miles had been added to the odometer driven by a purported mechanic by the name of Michael Ray Whitaker, a 52-year-outdated from Titus County.

Deputies arrested Whitaker at that time for unauthorized use of a motor motor vehicle.

Then just about a month afterwards on May well 25, the TCSO gained yet another criticism from a shopper who had remaining their vehicle at the Beetle Store for repairs. The third customer allegedly observed that the catalytic converters experienced been stolen from the car and some variety of alternative pipe experienced been set up in which the converters had been.

Whitaker was arrested by the TCSO deputies on Thursday on a felony indictment for the alleged theft. He was taken to the Titus County Jail where he is waiting for arraignment.

“Titus County Sheriff’s Place of work would not normally submit info pertaining to how businesses run in Titus County on the other hand in this case, we believe there is a compelling require to make the general public mindful of the repetitive offenses linked to customers’ vehicles who leave their vehicles at the Beetle Shop for repairs,” said TCSO in a Facebook article.

TSCO said that the investigation is still ongoing.