Multiple thefts of catalytic converters from vehicles were being reported throughout Evansville. The main targets of these thefts were larger work or commercial trucks. These parts can cost up to $2000 each to replace.
As the cases were being investigated, detectives from the Evansville Police Department developed 34 year-old Edward Lee Payne Jr. as a suspect and began to conduct surveillance on Payne. In the early morning hours of December 15, EPD Detectives witnessed Payne park his vehicle and walk onto the lot of Hasgoe, a commercial cleaning service.Â
Payne crawled under a work vehicle and the detectives then heard sounds that were consistent with the operation of a reciprocating saw. Payne then emerged from under the truck, walked back to his own vehicle and left the area. Detectives observed that there were fresh cut marks on the vehicle’s catalytic converter. Payne returned to Hasgoe later that morning and again began to saw on the converter. Once again, after a short time, Payne emerged from under the truck and left the area without taking the converter. Â
The surveillance detail continued and Payne returned to Hasgoe at approximately 2:40 a.m. on December 16 and finished cutting the converter from the vehicle. He took the converter to his vehicle and left the area. Uniform officers took Payne into custody shortly after he left the lot of Hasgoe.
Payne has been transported to the Vanderburgh County Confinement Center and will be charged with theft. The EPD believes that Payne may be responsible for other thefts of catalytic converters. If anyone has knowledge about this theft or has been a victim of a stolen catalytic converter, they are asked to call the Evansville Police Department at 812-436-7979 or the WeTip line at 1-800-78-CRIME.
