Waffle House ruckus brings arrest —
The rash of catalytic converters being stolen from vehicles on Peachtree City’s west side continued on April 1.
An officer at 8:25 a.m. responded to a Huddleston Road business in reference to a theft, according to police reports.
The officer met with the victim who stated that he was starting up his work truck for the day and noticed that the exhaust sounded strange.
Upon further inspection, he discovered the catalytic converter was missing as well as cut wires hanging from the exhaust pipe, the report noted.
According to J.D. Power, an automotive publication, the cost to the owner to replace a stolen coverter ranges from $1,000 to $3,000.
And why suddenly are converters in such demand by thieves? Each is about the size of a loaf of bread positioned in the gasoline-powered vehicle’s exhaust system between the engine and the muffler. Each contains tiny amounts of three precious metals that help clean up your exhaust: platinum, palladium and rhodium. Rhodium, in fact, is among the most expensive — $19,400 per ounce, followed by palladium at $2,180 an ounce and platinum at $950 an ounce on the spot markets as of April 6.
In other police beat news, an Arizona man acting out and cursing in front of children at the Waffle House restaurant on Ga. Highway 74 South in Peachtree City soon learned that his demeanor would not be tolerated. He was cited for disorderly conduct and given a criminal trespass warning.
Officers on April 2 at approximately 10:30 a.m. were dispatched to the Waffle House restaurant on Hwy. 74 South in reference to a fight in progress.
The first officer to arrive at the scene found the parties separated and the possible offender in his vehicle, the police report said.
“The investigation revealed that the subject was acting strangely, challenging people and saying curse words in front of children,” the officer reported.
Based on those findings, a criminal trespass warning for Derrick Hand, 51, was requested by the manager, and Hand was cited for disorderly conduct, the report said.
