Philly Man Arrested For Dozens Of Thefts Throughout Area

A multi-municipality investigation into the rapid theft of catalytic converters has led to the arrest of a Philadelphia man.

Carlos Betancourt, 24, was arrested this week and charged with 71 theft-related counts.

According to court documents, the investigation was spearheaded by a Lower Southampton detective who began researching the case in response to the theft of catalytic converters from 10 vehicles in a U-Haul lot in the 300 block of West Street Road in Feasterville on February 10. Surveillance video from the lot depicted a vehicle with one driver and at least one passenger entering and leaving the lot overnight.

The following day, police called Philadelphia Metal & Resource Recovery Inc., where an employee identified Betancourt as a frequent customer who had just sold the business nine catalytic converters on February 10. The employee noted Betancourt had the sold the business approximately 60 or more catalytic converters since November.

Court documents state that Betancourt had sold the business 15 additional catalytic converters on February 14.

Shortly after, Lower Southampton police were contacted by Hilltown Township police who had received the report of a catalytic converter stolen from a motorhome at the Camper’s Inn of Philadelphia on Bethlehem Pike on February 14. Hilltown police reported three more catalytic converters, along with their oxygen sensors, had been stolen on February 22. Police noted that four Milwaukee reciprocating blades were also found in the area.

Lower Southampton police then spoke with Bensalem police, who advised of catalytic converter thefts from two businesses; two of which were stolen from a U-Haul located in the 2100 block of Street Road on January 19, and six of which were stolen from Daly’s Service Center in the 2700 block of Bristol Pike on February 8.

Bristol Township also reported thefts to Lower Southampton police, according to court documents, alleging that seven catalytic converters were stolen from a U-Haul in the 6200 block of Bristol Pike on February 12 and 14 more were stolen from Bucks County Transport in the 400 block of Bowen Avenue in Bristol Township. Milwaukee blades were also left behind at the scene.

Police in Hatboro, Montgomery County, also reported catalytic converters being stolen overnight, according to court documents.

Court records then show that Lower Southampton police again contacted Philadelphia Metal & Recovery, who reported that Betancourt was on site with more catalytic converters to sell in his truck. While they were instructed to contact Philadelphia police, Betancourt allegedly fled the area and was located later at Tow Decision, a scrap yard located in the 2300 block of Wheatscheaf Lane in Philadelphia.

It was then that Betancourt was taken into custody by Philadelphia police for a probation warrant. Court documents state that at the time Betancourt was with a 17-year-old juvenile and that the vehicle they were driving had previously been reported stolen.

He was remanded to the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10 percent of $150,000 bail.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.