Gun Pointed During Milford Catalytic Converter Theft

A trio of catalytic converter thieves pointed a gun at a victim in a parking lot and fled from officers during a pursuit, according to police.

Three males stole a catalytic converter off a vehicle in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn on Old Gate Lane Wednesday around 1:20 a.m., police said on Facebook.

The three later attempted to steal a catalytic converter off a vehicle in the Hampton Inn parking lot on Plains Road, but were confronted by a male. The suspects started to leave the parking lot in a red Mazda 3, but decided to turn around. One suspect pointed a black handgun at the male and an accompanying woman.

Police later found the Mazda in the parking lot of Motel 6 on Schoolhouse Road, but the driver fled onto I-95 northbound. Officers lost sight of the vehicle in the Hill section of New Haven. Video of the pursuit was posted to Facebook.

The Mazda had no front bumper and a rolled up paper license plate.

Police urge people to not confront catalytic converter thieves and instead contact police as soon as it's safe to do so.

"As a friendly reminder to everyone, if you witness an incident such as a catalytic converter being stolen, be a good witness," police said in a statement. "Do not try to intervene. Besides possible weapons, the tools used to steal these parts can also be extremely dangerous if used as a weapon."