YOUNGSTOWN — Salvation Army personnel have informed Youngstown police that surveillance videos show a man on a bicycle in the area where catalytic converters were stolen off three vehicles early Tuesday.

Catalytic converters have become popular items to steal in recent years because of the amount of money the thief can get for metals inside them.

The report states that a police officer went to the 1501 Glenwood Ave. facility on the South Side on Tuesday to investigate the thefts, and watched surveillance video. It showed a man on a bicycle wearing what appeared to be a light-colored hooded sweatshirt — with a book bag on his back. He rode up to the agency at 4:38 a.m.

The video shows the man riding over to a red van and white box truck parked next to the building. He was there until 4:57 a.m., then headed back toward Chalmers Avenue, the report states.

In a later view of the man, it appeared he was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, the report states, adding that it is not known whether the hooded sweatshirt looked different in the two parts of the video or whether the person changed his sweatshirt.

The report lists three vehicles having their catalytic converters removed.

Maj. Paul Moore, Mahoning County coordinator for the Salvation Army with his wife, Maj. Sherry Moore, said he’s heard about catalytic converter thefts in the area, but this is the first time it’s happened at the Salvation Army in the five years he’s been here.

He said he doesn’t know how long the van and box truck will be out of service, but said a third vehicle whose catalytic converter was taken will probably not be repaired because of its age and condition .

He said insurance covers the vehicles, but until the vehicles can be repaired, the organization will not be able to collect some of the donated items it generally brings back in the truck and van.

erunyan@vindy.com