Four more mid-2000s Toyota Prii hybrid cars were targeted over the weekend by a group of three men, who jack up cars and steal the valuable catalytic converters.
A red 2007 Toyota Prius was targeted in the 500 block of South Basswood between 11:30 p.m. on the 6th and 5:30 p.m. on the 7th.
The owner of a 2008 Toyota Prius, which was parked in the 3100 block of South Acadia Court around 7 p.m. on the 5th of January 2023 reported starting their car just after noon on the 8th to discover their catalytic converter was stolen.
The driver told police the car was loud when started.
In the 2300 block of East Winslow, the owner of a 2007 Toyota Prius parked around 6 p.m. on the 7th, only to discover at 1:30 p.m. on the 8th that their car’s catalytic converter was stolen.
The driver of a 2008 Toyota Prius parked their car at 5:15 p.m. on the 8th. Then a neighbor later said they saw three men jacking up the car in the middle of the night but didn’t call the police. There was no description of the men or the vehicle they were driving given.
Bloomington Police Department Captain Ryan Pedigo said members of the Bloomington community should call 911 immediately if they see something suspicious.
The converters cost 3-4 thousand dollars to replace with original equipment, and in Indiana, insurance companies won’t cover it because of the state’s minimum emissions standards. All Toyota Prii come with factory catalytic converters certified for California emissions standards, which contain more precious metals, which thieves are selling on the black market. Prii with aftermarket converters are illegal to register in California and can never be sold there and may not perform as well or get the same gas mileage.
