Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 224, also known as the “Deputy Darren Almendarez Act” into law on Tuesday.

Five people were arrested Wednesday in a multi-agency sting operation after a months-long investigation into a large-scale catalytic converter theft ring in the Pearland area, according to authorities.

The local Senate Committee on Criminal Justice will hold a hearing in attempt to tackle catalytic converter theft in Houston. Sen. John Whitmire and members of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, including other invited guests, will hold an interim hearing in Houston to determine what actions are needed to aid law enforcement and stop catalytic converter theft and its related violence. The hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at the Texas Department of Transportation Houston District Headquarters.

As Chair of the State Legislature’s Criminal Justice Committee, Senator John Whitmire, D-Houston, is researching, reviewing, and preparing for next year’s legislative session where he hopes to address the rise in catalytic converter thefts.

Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels said the catalytic converter from one of its vehicles was stolen twice this month.

Catalytic converter thefts ongoing issue across Harris County.

An officer with the Houston Police Department is recovering after police said he was clipped by a patrol car while chasing down suspects in southwest Houston that were stealing catalytic converters. According to authorities, the officer sustained a minor injury.

Thieves are targeting catalytic converters over any other car part at an unprecedented rate in Houston, leaving thousands of dollars of damage behind for the victims.

One Klein-area woman and her husband were just going to church on Sunday when they noticed their Toyota Tundra making a terrible noise.

A Katy resident is warning others of four suspects who stole one of his Toyota Tundra’s catalytic converters. The heist was caught on video and went viral on social media.

Thieves targeting catalytic converters hit a La Porte car dealership overnight.

One Humble woman now has to wait three months to have her catalytic converters replaced because they were stolen by thieves at the Townsen Park & Ride.

“I think you can still drive it but it’s an emissions issue there not going to pass inspection without the converters,” said Fred Shafer, president of The Arc of Katy. The Catalytic Converter is an exhaust emission control device that reduces toxic gases. Shafer said they believe were cut out from under the buses sometime over the weekend and have since filed a police report with the Katy police department. Shafer said the buses were insured but worries about the deductible. They also wanted to give a special thanks to the community who have already donated a thousand dollars to help cover costs.