MONTROSE, Pa. — Some Susquehanna County vehicles are out of commission after thieves stole catalytic converters off ten buses and vans last Friday. Employees found the damage when they arrived at work.
Susquehanna County Commissioner Alan Hall says these vehicles are used for transportation within the county. Hall says it's a big hit for day-to-day operations, but more importantly, getting the vehicles back on the road will be costly.
"It's well over $40,000 worth of damage that's done to the vehicles. The problem is trying to get catalytic converters. To buy them, we have to search the entire country to get them."
Commissioner Hall says they are already short on vehicles as it is, and it's uncertain how long the buses will be out of service.
"Trying to get these buses fixed, the garages that work on these are all booked through the end of the month, and are trying to get them back in."
Riders who rely on these buses are the ones who lose out because the county is so rural it's not easy to find a replacement.
"We have a lot of senior citizens that aren't making it to dialysis, their doctor's appointments, and all that because of this going on," Hall said.
Three of the vehicles targeted were brand new. Hall says there is only so much they can do to try and prevent crimes like this from happening, and the people buying the stolen parts should be held accountable.
The county is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the thieves who stole the catalytic converters. Anyone with information or possibly surveillance video in the area is asked to contact the state police at Gibson.
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