HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Authorities accuse a local tow truck driver of intimidating people into giving up their vehicle by showing a gun. They made the arrest Wednesday afternoon.
Eraclio Salas, 24, has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault. Authorities say in one case, Salas actually shot at someone. The Gulf Coast Violent Offenders task force has been looking for him since Friday.
Eyewitness News was there as police detained and questioned a woman at a home in connection with a scrap metal theft ring. While they let her go, they arrested a tow truck driver accused of towing cars illegally. Authorities say he was even going as far as to threaten to shoot the owners if they refused to turn their vehicles over. Along with the suspect, they found more than 30 catalytic convertors and an electric saw.
Houston Police Sgt. Acevedo said, "It's a very big problem we're having now and that's why we are trying to focus and narrow down as to who is doing it."
The convertors are each worth between $75 and $100 as scrap. The street value from today's bust is anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000.
"They crawl underneath and as fast as they can, they try to saw off the catalytic convertors and get away with them," Sgt. Acevedo explained.
Back in May, we showed how thieves managed to steal catalytic convertors from two school buses. The titanium inside can go for $300 at a recycling facility where they pay by the pound. It's unclear if these cases are connected.
Salas has not been charged with stealing the catalytic convertors. Police are still investigating. He has a lengthy criminal history, including several convictions on charges ranging from auto theft to assault on a public servant.
Headlines at a glance | News in your community | RSS feeds
Slideshow archive | ABC13 wireless | Help solve crimes
local, andy cerota
Sponsored Content
- Doctor: man may have been in Haiti rubble 27 days
- Stalker of ESPN's Andrews had other victims
- Good times roll at Saints victory parade
- Bus driver suspended after light rail collision
- Suspect pulls gun on animal control officer
- ATF increases reward in church arson fires
- New travel regulations for entry into Mexico
- Senate Democrats unveil jobs package
- Cribs recalled after three deaths
- Woman shot by burglar in her home
-
Most Popular
-
Most Viewed StoriesMost Viewed VideoMost Viewed Photos
ABC13 Everywhere
Wireless
Breaking news as it happens. Sign up now!
Visit our mobile site at abc13now.com.
Get our iPhone application.
Newsletters, Alerts, and RSS
Sign up for our newsletters to get news, weather and other alerts via email.
Get breaking news alerts on your desktop
With our RSS feeds, get real-time updates of abc13.com using your favorite news reader.
Follow us on Twitter!
Contests, Promotions, and Registration
Check out our contests and promotions. There are always great opportunities to win!
Become a member to enter contests, comment on stories, receive newsletters, and more!
- abc13.com home
- Site Map
- RSS
- Advertise with Us
- Contact Us
- DTV Reports
- Technical Help
- ABC.com
- ABCNews.com
- Privacy Policy
- Safety Information for this site
- Terms of Use
- Copyright ©2010 ABC Inc., KTRK-TV/DT Houston, TX. All Rights Reserved.





