Motorist shot after interrupting suspects trying to steal his catalytic converter, St. Paul police say

A motorist interrupted suspects trying to steal the catalytic converter from his vehicle over the weekend in St. Paul, then chased after them and was shot, police said Monday.

The gunfire, which occurred about 2:40 a.m. Sunday in the 1100 block of Marion Street, comes amid one of law enforcement's most vexing crimes to solve: the theft of converters that criminals covet for a quick-cash sale to scrap metal dealers, leaving vehicle owners with a hefty repair bill that can add up to thousands of dollars.

Officers spoke with a 56-year-old woman who told them her son had been shot, according to police. A short time later, Juan M. Ramirez, 23, of St. Paul, was driven by his sister to Regions Hospital with a noncritical gunshot wound to the chest. He was still hospitalized as of Monday afternoon.

According to witnesses and evidence gathered at the scene, Ramirez apparently interrupted the theft. When the suspects jumped into a car and drove off, Ramirez gave chase in a vehicle and was shot, police said.

No arrests have been announced.

Thefts of catalytic converters, which limit a vehicle's exhaust emissions, are valued for the precious metals they contain and can sell for hundreds of dollars, based on condition, have risen nationwide over the past two years. In 2021, nearly 2,000 catalytic converters were stolen in St. Paul — more than five a day.

St. Paul police spokesman Steve Linders said two people were shot this year while interrupting in-progress catalytic converter thefts.

"We understand that catalytic converter thefts are infuriating, but we don't encourage people to confront the thieves," he said. "Instead, we ask people to call 911 to report a crime in progress. Turn on house lights. Hit the panic button on the vehicle's key fob. And get as much information about the thieves as possible so it can be shared with investigators."

Marty Ruddy, who is president of Terra Firma Building and Remodeling in St. Paul, said the situation was similar to when he was shot last month after confronting two people attempting to saw a catalytic converter off his co-worker's car.

A company vehicle's catalytic converter had been stolen earlier that month, he said, so when he saw a suspicious car pull into the parking lot around 3:40 p.m. Feb. 21 at 2350 Territorial Road, Ruddy decided to confront the suspects.

As he approached them, he was shot and the suspects sped away.

"I was able to crawl across the parking lot so a co-worker could call 911, since I didn't have my phone on me," he said. "I was fortunate to survive."

Ruddy, 52, suffered a gunshot wound to his left hip, fracturing the bone. He spent three days at HCMC. He is still on crutches.

St. Paul police were not immediately able to respond to if there have been any arrests in connection with this case.

Don Reeder, spokesman for the League of Minnesota Cities, said the organization has included catalytic converter theft prevention among its 2022 legislative priorities.

Three bills are up for consideration this session related to catalytic converter purchase, acquisition or sales, league officials said.

One piece of pending legislation would authorize creation of an electronic database to allow law enforcement to track the sale of used catalytic converters to scrap metal facilities. It mimics similar databases used by pawnshops.

"This is information that scrap metal dealers are supposed to be collecting anyway," said state Rep. Paul Novotny, R-Elk River, a co-sponsor in his chamber with Rep. Dale Lueck, R-Aitkin.

"Given that it would be an electronic database, then it's searchable" and easily accessible from anywhere in the state, said Novotny, who retired in 2020 after more than 30 years as a Sherburne County sheriff's deputy.

As a deterrent to anyone hoping to unload a stolen catalytic converter, Novotny's bill also would require all scrap metal dealers to prominently display a sign notifying patrons that all transactions involving the devices are reported to the state Department of Public Safety and made available to law enforcement statewide.

In January, the St. Paul City Council approved an ordinance change that would make it a misdemeanor to possess a catalytic converterthat is not attached to a vehicle.

At the time of the ordinance's passage Council Member Chris Tolbert said many of his Highland Park and Macalester-Groveland constituents have had their catalytic converters stolen multiple times. "That's a devastating amount of money for people to get [it] replaced," he said.

Other city efforts to crack down on these thefts — including St. Paul police marking catalytic converters to make them less appealing to thieves — haven't made much of a dent.

On the other side of the Twin Cities last month, Shakopee made it a misdemeanor to possess a detached catalytic converter without proof of ownership.