Thieves in Las Vegas stole a catalytic converter from the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.

Thieves in Las Vegas stole a catalytic converter from the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Catalytic Converters are worth between $300 to $3500 when sold as scrap at your local wrecking service.

In California alone, around 1,600 catalytic converters were stolen every month in 2021.

Even police vehicles have fallen victim to the increasingly common crime. Last year, thieves took off with catalytic converters from several marked cruisers belonging to the San Francisco Police Department. Meanwhile, a sheriff’s deputy in the Houston area was shot dead in March as he tried to stop suspects stealing his car’s catalytic converter.

Last November, the U.S. Justice Department announced it had taken down a nationwide catalytic converter theft ring, with 21 people across five states being arrested or charged for their roles in the conspiracy. FBI Director Christopher Wray said at the time that the group had made hundreds of millions of dollars through the scheme.

A nationwide scourge of catalytic converter thefts caught up with the iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile in Las Vegas, temporarily stranding it, news outlets report.

Someone stole the hot dog-shaped vehicle’s catalytic converter overnight in a hotel parking lot, KVVU reported. The Wienermobile team found it would not start Friday, Feb. 10.

After a tow to Penske Truck Rental, mechanics were able to install a temporary catalytic converter, parts administrator Joseph Rodriguez told KLAS.

“A hot dog truck, no way,” Rodriguez told the station. “Imagine like a huge hot dog in the middle of your bay. There’s all these other trucks and you got to work on this.”

Ordering the parts for a permanent fix will take one or two months, Rodriguez said.

Oscar Mayer has six Wienermobiles touring the United States, with stops planned for Sunday, Feb. 12 in Henderson, Nevada; Tucson, Arizona; and Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

Thefts of catalytic converters, which contain precious metals, have soared across the United States, the National Insurance Crime Bureau reported.

More than 14,433 catalytic converter thefts were reported in 2020, compared to 3,389 in 2019, the bureau said. To help prevent your vehicle falling victim to the crime, the NICB recommends parking in a garage or with a camera where possible, installing a catalytic converter anti-theft device, or etching your Vehicle Identification Number into your car’s catalytic converter.