MONROE — Despite several local cases winding their way through the courts, area law enforcement officials say the trend of stealing catalytic converters to turn into quick cash isn’t going anywhere soon. 

In the latest case, a rural Monroe woman has been charged with 21 counts related to suspected catalytic converters stolen around the area. That suspect, Kelsey Ann Wuethrich, is free on a $50,000 signature bond and faces numerous charges for methamphetamine and other offenses.

“My reading of cases elsewhere still says that this type of theft is still a trend,” said Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley. “The materials contained in them is valuable. And, it is not a difficult act to commit, which takes a short time.”

Thieves typical remove converters from parked cars using a battery-powered reciprocating saw and then sell them to a junk dealer, including at least one such dealer in the Freeport area. They can fetch hundreds due to the amount of rare metals in them.

Those recent suspects include Brandy M. Williams, 41, of Browntown. Timothy James Decker, 42, of Verona, and Christopher T. Odair, 45, of Browntown. Odair also was charged with resisting a police officer and obstructing an officer.

Together, the trio are charged with multiple counts of theft of major parts of a motor vehicle. They also were each charged with a felony count of burglary, and are suspected in thefts in neighboring counties of Rock and Dane.

Those and other arrests have made a difference, although it can be hard to gauge because some of the crimes occur to non-working or stored vehicles and aren’t discovered for some time, he said.

“We’ve seen a decrease here, since that ring was interrupted,” said Kelley. “Again, our opinion indicates that these thefts that were reported (last) weekend were actually done last Fall and just being discovered now.”

Among the thefts reportedly attributed to the three or four top suspects, include the theft of two converters from the parking lot of a Madison hotel, additional converters from a location on Wis. 69, another from a box truck in Evansville, from a box truck in the city of Monroe, and a from camper in Green County. 

Meanwhile, investigations continue here and elsewhere. More arrests are likely as the weather warms, experts say.

“Last Fall, we had a rash of a few catalytic converter thefts, with no leads,” said Kelley. “And, we had an incident where one of our officers happened on to a likely theft in progress.  We identified those people, and they were charged in thefts in other communities, even though we did not have them with an actual theft here. “

For her part, Wuethrich is expected to appear in court again on the charges on May 26 before Green County Circuit Judge Thomas Vale.