States all over the country have seen an increase in catalytic converter thefts within the past year.
Over the weekend, a few neighbors in South Sacramento caught three thieves in action.
The incident occurred near Fruitridge Road early Sunday morning (May 16).
A neighbor managed to capture cellphone video footage that shows the two thieves attempting to steal the catalytic converter from a car.
"It was my grandma's Prius," Daniel told CBS13. "Grabbed my clothes and tried to scare them off."
The video below shows Daniel and fellow neighbors trying to stop the thieves from getting away with the catalytic converter.
At one point, a neighbor recording the altercation is threatened with a blow torch by one of the thieves.
In the end, the suspects weren't able to steal the converter from Daniel's grandmother's Prius.
However, the thieves did manage to steal another converter from the neighborhood before residents noticed them.
While the neighbors were able to come together and fend off the thieves from getting more, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said people should avoid stepping into these kinds of situations.
They urge people to call them as the suspect could be carrying a weapon.
Photo: Getty Images