Man arrested in Chico, suspected of trying to steal cat converter from school vehicle
CHICO, Calif. — A Chico man was arrested Friday after police said they caught him trying to steal a catalytic converter from a school district vehicle.
Early in the morning on March 11, the Chico Police Department was alerted by an alarm company of a potential trespasser in the Chico Unified School District maintenance yard at 2455 Carmichael Drive. When officers arrived on the scene, they found a man who was in the process of burglarizing a vehicle belonging to the school district, according to the Chico Police Department.
When officers approached, the suspect took off running, but the pursuit didn't last long. The man, later identified as 30-year-old Chico resident Brian Fain, fell 10 feet into a drainage ditch and suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries to his lower leg. He was later transported to, and treated at, Enloe Hospital, police said.
The CPD said further investigation determined Fain had allegedly been trying to steal the catalytic converter from the vehicle, as well as tools belonging to the school district that are essential for the maintenance and safety of its various campuses and facilities.
Fain was arrested on several charges including trespassing and burglary.
