Thieves target vehicles along highway near Fairbanks

Published 6:25 pm Monday, October 5, 2015

FAIRBANKS — Alaska State Troopers say highway thieves near Fairbanks have been pulling emission control devices off vehicles.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported that troopers say catalytic converters are being cut from underneath vehicles as they are parked along Elliott Highway.

Troopers say several hunters’ vehicles were targeted between Sept. 6 and Sept. 10. But hunter Scott Bidwell told the News-Miner the thefts continued, saying his vehicle was targeted on Sept. 19.

Bidwell says thieves took his exhaust pipe, muffler, catalytic converter and $1,000 in gear from inside his vehicle while it was parked at a pullout.