Illinois man arrested on warrant out of Kenosha County after catalytic converter thefts in Zion

ZION, Ill. -- On Monday, Feb. 3, police in Zion, Illinois warned residents about a series of catalytic converter thefts in northeast Illinois and southeast Wisconsin, and on Tuesday night, an arrest was made.

Police identified the man who was taken into custody as Joseph Grana, 32, of Waukegan -- arrested on a warrant out of Kenosha County.

Upon his arrest, he was interviewed by detectives from Zion, Waukegan, Lake County -- and Kenosha and Pleasant Prairie in Wisconsin. Zion police then referred charges of theft and criminal damage to property -- noting additional charges were pending through other agencies.

Grana was ordered held on $500,000 bond Wednesday, police said.

As of Monday, police reported six thefts over seven to 10 days in Zion and noted similar incidents in other communities, with the thefts happening between midnight and 9 a.m.

Initially, police said the thieves were believed to be working in pairs -- with one remaining in a vehicle to serve as a lookout for police or vehicle owners, while the other crawled under the vehicle and cut the catalytic converter from the vehicle.

Police said it's a crime that can take just minutes, and these catalytic converters aren't cheap!