Fayette County has become part of the latest criminal trend: thieves stealing catalytic converters from unattended vehicles.

Capt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office said the thieves aren’t hitting individual residences. Instead they’re targeting auto repair facilities and other businesses that have vehicle fleets, such as air conditioning and plumbing outfits.

The converter unit is part of the exhaust system of a vehicle, and generally is found beneath the vehicle.

The thieves can take the converters to recycling facilities and get between $50 and $75 each, mainly because of the element platinum inside them, Pope said. And that price is regardless of whether it’s taken off a new vehicle or an older model.

Last month, the sheriff’s office had 15 such reports. This month the figure’s already at eight, Pope added.

A number of businesses off Ga. Highway 85 North on Carnes Drive and side streets such as Walter Way and Cecil Court have been hit, Pope said.

Most of the incidents are taking place late at night or over the weekends, Pope said.

And Fayette is not alone in this problem, which has been reported statewide, Pope added.

Salvage yards such as Coleman’s on Ga. Highway 92 are susceptible to such trends, and a sheriff’s deputy recently caught one burglar there who with a buddy was trying to make off with a large number of car batteries. The burglar’s “assistant” got away, but there are currently warrants out for his arrest, Pope said.