Los Angeles council member Nithya Raman was depicted on camera back in 2023 blaming Toyota for the surge in catalytic converter thefts plaguing the city.
Her shocking solution, which signals that the manufacturer has made their cars so “easy to steal,” has resurfaced after the tragic death of a Hollywood star over the weekend.
The clip of Raman from last year circulates social media as General Hospital star, Johnny Wactor, was shot and killed on Saturday when he interrupted thieves breaking into his car attempting to steal a catalytic converter, Resist the Mainstream reported.
Her remarks have sparked widespread criticism, with residents accusing LA Democrats of failing to target thieves as car theft continues to rise; especially considering Raman has opposed a motion aimed at holding criminals accountable, per Daily Mail.
“In this case, I think one of the things that infuriates me is that we have a company — whatever, Toyota — who makes the Prius, that essentially has a device on their cars which is super easy to remove,” a filmed Raman said during a 2023 council meeting.
“It’s basically the value of a MacBook, right?” she continued, adding, “That is put in a place that is incredibly easy to access in your car, and all the costs of the thefts are given to us to bear instead of them [Toyota] having to manufacture a car that actually is not so easy to be stolen.”
Daily Mail reported that Democrat Eunises Hernandez agreed with Raman’s remarks at the time, adding, “Criminalizing the mere possession of a catalytic converter, I think is the wrong way to go, because we know which communities are gonna be the ones most criminalized because of this.”
“This makes it a misdemeanor, it creates a fine of $1000, you can go to jail for six months,” he said, adding, “Even a short incarceration of a couple of days can destabilize someone’s life forever, and leads to collateral consequences that they have to carry until they can get an expungement, if they can get that.”
“I’m not in agreement with creating more opportunities to criminalize our communities,” Hernandez continued.
The outlet reported that nearly 8,000 catalytic converters were stolen in 2023, a staggering 728 percent increase from 2018.
LA has experienced a sharp rise in car thefts, with the rate increasing every year since 2019.
The city recorded over 25,000 auto thefts, marking a 64 percent increase compared to pre-pandemic numbers.
Users frustrated over Wactor’s horrific demise weighed in on Raman’s remarks throughout Memorial Day weekend.
“While Los Angeles council member Nithya Raman wants to sue Toyota, and DA George Gascon refuses to prosecute catalytic converter thieves, people are being executed trying to protect their property,” Kevin Dalton wrote on X.
“The latest victim is actor Johnny Wactor. He was shot and killed in DTLA as 3 men attempted to steal the catalytic converter on his vehicle. His mother said he put up no fight. They just shot him,” he added. “I hope you’re sitting down. There is no description of this suspects.”
The post LA Dem Ripped After Blaming Toyota For Auto Theft Spike In Unearthed Video As Police Search For Catalytic Converter Thieves That Killed Hollywood Star appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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