Police: Healdsburg traffic stop leads to 2 burglary arrests

Healdsburg police arrested two men Tuesday morning after they found multiple tools used for burglaries in their vehicle during a traffic stop, authorities said.

Healdsburg Police Department Officers were patrolling about 2 a.m. when they saw a vehicle cross a double yellow line and pulled it over on Healdsburg Avenue near Lytton Springs Road, Healdsburg police Sgt. Kristin Dean said.

During the stop, police saw multiple reciprocating saws, a car jack, bolt cutters and an impactor inside the vehicle. Most of the tools are commonly used to steal catalytic converters, which is a part of a car that makes its emissions less toxic and contains precious metals, according to a news release from the department.

Officers detained the suspects and conducted a further investigation. They found the GPS navigation had been set to five specific Healdsburg addresses, most of which were associated with a Toyota Prius, which is one of the most common vehicles targeted for catalytic converter theft.

The driver, Edwin Valdez-Romero, 28, of Suisun City, also had a photo of a removed catalytic converter on his phone, which he gave police permission to look through, Dean said.

Valdez-Romero and the other suspect, of who officials are still trying to confirm the identity, were arrested and booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit a felony and possessing burglary tools. As of 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Valdez-Romero was no longer in jail.

About 1,600 converters are stolen each month in California, according to a 2021 presentation from the state’s Bureau of Automotive Repair.

In 2023, multiple California laws aiming to tackle the problem took effect. Under some of these new laws, the only people who can sell a catalytic converter are an automobile dismantler, repair dealer or a person with documentation that they are the owner.

You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @madi.smals.