On 04/30/2026 at 0831 hours, St. Paul Police responded to 1790 7th St E (Dental Association) for an attempted catalytic converter theft. The suspects had reportedly already fled the scene. The complainant, CR, said he saw two males tampering with his co-worker’s white 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV that was parked there. One suspect was under the vehicle and the other was standing in front of it. When CR made eye contact, the standing suspect alerted the suspect under the vehicle and the two then fled the scene in a 2015 black Kia Optima displaying MN license plate ZUL161. CR provided police a description of the suspects.
Police spoke to the owner of the Mitsubishi, SLW, and confirmed that her catalytic converter was still attached to the vehicle but saw that it had been cut and damaged. From the scene, police recovered a Milwaukee reciprocating saw and three saw blades. Reciprocating saws are commonly used to steal catalytic converters. The black Kia registered to [address omitted]. Police went there and found the vehicle. The two suspects, whose clothing matched the complainant’s description, were near the vehicle.
Police also saw that the Kia’s license plates had been altered with tape; the “U” and the “6” had been covered and the plates appeared to read “Z_L 1_ 1”. The two suspects were identified as Ko KO (DOB/1992-01-01) and Nay THAR (DOB/1987-12-02). When asked about the altered license plates, KO removed the tape revealing the full license plate; MN/ZUL161. KO and THAR then opened the vehicle and allowed the police to look inside. Police saw two reciprocating saw blades in the center console and a reciprocating saw on the front passenger seat floorboard.
In a post-Miranda statement, THAR said KO was driving the Kia, pulled up next to a white SUV, got out, and got under the SUV with the red Milwaukee reciprocating saw. THAR said that based on past experience he knew what KO was doing. THAR said he has been trying to stop stealing catalytic converters so he told KO to stop. Then when people started honking at them, KO told THAR to drive away from the scene. THAR claimed it was KO who covered the Kia’s license plates numbers with tape. In his post-Miranda statement, KO said that he and THAR were driving around, THAR pointed out a white SUV, and told KO how to cut the converter off.
KO said he agreed to do it and went under the vehicle with a red saw. When he heard honking he got scared and fled the scene. KO said he had never stolen a catalytic converter before and it was all THAR’s idea. KO also claimed it was THAR who put the tape on the Kia’s license plates. The cost of the catalytic converter exceeded $1,000 and the estimate to repair SLW’s vehicle totaled $3,427.89. For purposes of Rule 6.
