CHESAPEAKE, Va. – A Chesapeake food pantry has become the latest victim in a string of catalytic converter thefts.
Buffalow Family and Friends is located in the South Norfolk area of Cheseapeake. Nischelle Buffalow says she started the non-profit organization out of their home 11 years ago after seeing the great need in the community.
BFF hosts a large Thanksgiving event yearly and stays busy with its food pantry and deliveries. However, when they tried to use their box truck to pick up food on Wednesday, they noticed a horribly loud noise.
“It was very shocking to see that yesterday because we depend on these vehicles every day to go out into communities,” said Buffalow.
They soon realized the catalytic converter had been stolen from the truck as well as their 15-passenger van. The organization is working with their insurance to find out details on their co-pay. One worker told News 3 they spoke to an auto repair shop which said that without insurance, the repair could cost about $7,000 for just the truck.
Buffalow Family and Friends has security cameras, and detectives with the Chesapeake Police Department are searching through hours of footage to see if there’s anything helpful.
Related: Virginia Beach ministry becomes victim of catalytic converter theft
This theft comes as the mobile food pantry is preparing for a big delivery on Saturday to a senior neighborhood, Sterling Village, which Buffalow says is the former Chesapeake Crossing. They’re also gearing up for a back-to-school distribution event next week.
Anyone with information is asked to call police. Buffalow said they are always grateful for donations. For more information, click here.
