SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A teenager whom the San Francisco Police Department accused of being a “prolific” catalytic converter thief was identified and arrested, authorities announced Monday. Deric Gonzalez-Rodriguez, 19, was booked into the San Francisco County Jail on Jan. 29 for multiple coun ts of felony grand theft. According to SFPD, Gonzalez-Rodriguez was identified as the suspect after many reported catalytic converter thefts involved the same white four-door sedan. The multiple thefts occurred over a period of several months, police said. SFPD was not specific in how many cases Gonzalez-Rodriguez is allegedly connected to. Two men shot in SF’s Tenderloin Saturday morning Personal finance website MoneyGeek reported that conditions are rife for a rise in catalytic converter theft. Rhodium, which is one of the precious metals used in catalytic converters, skyrocketed in price to over $12,000 per ounce at the end of February. Other rare metals used in catalytic converters, platinum and palladium, can sell for several thousand dollars per ounce. San Francisco authorities said catalytic converter thefts are “occurring day and night.” Victims are advised to report the thefts immediately and file a police report. “Please also remember that video surveillance and witness statements are crucial to these investigations,” SFPD said. ...read more read less