WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — A Central Florida non-profit organization is down a bus and struggling to carry out its mission after it was targeted by thieves.
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Police in Winter Garden are searching for the person responsible for stealing the catalytic converter from the bus used by “Matthew’s Hope.”
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Pastor Scott Billue of Matthew’s Hope says the theft is changing the way they serve the community.
“I was kind of stunned,” Billue said. “This person knows what they’re doing.”
Billue shared surveillance video showing the suspect vehicle backing in next to the bus then leaving with the part in a matter of minutes.
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Matthew’s Hope uses the bus to transport people in need to their facility where they can receive medical care, food, clothing and other services.
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The pastor says they’re renting a van for now. Coupled with the cost of replacing the catalytic converter, Billue says the theft of such a small part is going to end up being a very expensive endeavor.
“The sad part is that we’re going to spend somewhere between three and five thousand dollars to repair this where that could have been feeding families, housing families,” Billue said.”
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the number of catalytic converter thefts reported in claims to insurance companies jumped from 3,389 in 2019 to more than 14,000 in 2020.
“The people that are doing this clearly don’t care,” Pastor Billue said. “If we find you, we will prosecute.”
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The suspect vehicle was described as a dark-colored Nissan Maxima. Anyone with information on the theft is asked to contact police.
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