ORANGE PARK, Fla. – An Orange Park business owner wants to see harsher penalties against people prosecuted for stealing catalytic converters out of vehicles after a pickup truck went up in flames with her husband inside because of the damage done to the truck during the crime.
Kim Stanley, the owner of Stanley Pools, said her husband was trying to help a coworker start the pickup truck after the holiday break, but didn’t realize the catalytic converter was stolen on Dec. 31 until surveillance video revealed that a man had broken into their property.
Stanley said her husband only had seconds to escape, and she worries someone else might lose their life based on her loved one’s experience.
Stanley said the man in the video not only cut out the truck’s catalytic converter, which contains precious metals, but also the vehicle’s fuel line.
“He immediately jumped out. My husband was just there. You see flames under where he was sitting,” Stanley said. “We’re just so thankful. I feel like there are two angels looking out for him.”
Automobile expert Aaron Nelson said stealing catalytic converters is a recipe for disaster because when a fuel line is cut, all it takes is a small spark to ignite the gallons of gasoline stored in a vehicle.
“As soon as you turn the key, it pressurizes that line. We’re talking 60 PSI of fuel pressure. It’s spraying fuel,” Nelson said.
Nelson said some newer cars have fuel lines that are built of plastic material that someone could cut or puncture with a pocket knife, and he’s concerned the next time this happens, someone won’t be as fortunate to escape the flames.
“They are putting the owner of that vehicle’s life in jeopardy, so I agree, I’d prosecute them to the max,” Nelson said.
As of now, catalytic converter thefts are considered grand theft, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, because the damage done is more than $750.
“They absolutely need to be prosecuted for more than just coming onto my property, but this could have killed him, and it breaks my heart,” Stanley said.
Deputies said it would take an act of the Legislature to increase the penalties.