Catalytic converter suspect caught red-handed early Saturday morning

Olympia Police caught up with an alleged catalytic converter thief just after midnight last Sat., April 17 after a witness reported seeing a man underneath a red bus holding a flashlight and hearing the sound of a “grinding wheel.”

Three minutes after being dispatched, an Olympia Police officer arrived at the scene on the 600 block of Pattison Ave SE. The officer spot a man identified as Mark Steven Anderson, 35, of Shelton, lying underneath the bus. There were sounds of “metallic clanging coming from under the bus, as if the person was manipulating a large piece of metal” according to the police report. The officer shined his flashlight under the vehicle, spotting Anderson holding the bus’ catalytic converter in his hands. The exhaust pipes that connect to each end of the catalytic converter been cut. Anderson was asked to crawl out from underneath the bus.

Anderson said his friend “Jeremy” owned the bus and that he was “fixing” it for him. Anderson said that he had the catalytic converter because he was “trying to fit it back up there” and that someone else had cut it out.

Olympia Police looked through the passenger’s seat window of Anderson’s Honda. Inside was a battery-powered reciprocating saw.

Anderson was booked into the Olympia Jail under theft of motor vehicle parts.

Olympia Police returned to the 600 block of Pattison St SE location, suspecting that another party would return for Anderson and the catalytic converter. Olympia Police spotted two males, David Prink and Jeremy Hanson, walking toward the bus.

According to the police report, Prink, told the officer that he lives in a car that was parked on the same block, said that Hanson had come to visit him. Hanson confirmed that Anderson had given him a ride to visit Prink earlier Friday evening. Hanson reported that he heard Anderson underneath the bus calling out Hanson’s name. Hanson went over, was handed the reciprocating saw, and placed it into Anderson’s Honda.

“(Anderson)’s always doing stupid shit,” Hanson told Olympia police, and provided a written statement.

The value of the catalytic converter to the bus was $400.  The bus belonged to a recently deceased individual who lived in the 600 block of Pattison St SE.