Man charged after catalytic converter swiped from church van

IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — Iredell County deputies issued a warning Tuesday about a rise in catalytic converter thefts across the county.

In one case, deputies said 41-year-old David Brian McAlister was charged with one count of felony larceny of motor vehicle parts and several drug charges after swiping the part from a church van.

According to authorities, McAlister’s truck was caught on surveillance video at Calvary Baptist Church in Union Grover on May 8 before the converter was reported missing.

Deputies said they posted pictures of McAlister’s truck on the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Facebook and got numerous tips that led them to his home.

When officers searched inside, they said they found several pieces of evidence, including a felony amount of heroin and numerous items of drug paraphernalia.

Deputies said 42-year-old Tara Braddock McAlister was also inside the home at the time of the search. She was charged with felony possession of heroin and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to deputies, there have been several cases of catalytic converter theft in Iredell County. The converters contain a mix of precious metals, which can be extracted and recycled.

Law enforcement across the foothills are seeing a spike in these thefts. Hickory police are investigating more than a dozen catalytic converter thefts at businesses and apartment complexes. In Burke County, the sheriff sent out letters to scrapyards warning them that it is illegal to accept stolen catalytic converters.

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