On Wednesday afternoon, October 8, 2025, Irving Police officers arrested a man accused of stealing a catalytic converter after a witness spotted the theft in progress.
Officers responded quickly to the call and located the suspect matching the description provided. When approached, the suspect fled on foot, prompting officers to chase and subdue him after a brief pursuit. He refused to identify himself and had no form of identification on him.
After further investigation, police identified the suspect as 38-year-old Edelmiro Coronado Lopez, Jr. A search of his vehicle led to the discovery of illegal narcotics and drug paraphernalia. Lopez was booked into the Irving Jail at 3:19 p.m. and faces multiple charges, including Unauthorized Possession of a Catalytic Converter, Evading Arrest or Detention, Possession of a Controlled Substance (PG 1/1-B), Failure to Display Driver’s License, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Police also confirmed that Lopez had two outstanding warrants from the Dallas Police Department for traffic violations. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has since placed a hold on him.
Court records show Lopez’s criminal history includes a 2023 federal conviction for Conspiracy to Commit Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property. Prosecutors alleged Lopez and several co-defendants were involved in a multi-state ring trafficking stolen catalytic converters from Texas to New York. In January 2024, he was sentenced to ten months in jail and two years of supervised release. Despite his illegal immigration status, he was released after serving his sentence rather than being deported.
Catalytic converter thefts are on the rise because of the value of palladium, which is one of the contents used in the converters.
