A Langley man got into a scuffle with a thief trying to swipe his catalytic converter on Sunday afternoon, RCMP say.

At about 5 p.m. on Aug. 28, a resident in Langley City, near 199th Street and 56th Avenue, interrupted a suspected thief who was apparently trying to remove a part from the victim鈥檚 vehicle.

According to a police report on the incident, the suspect allegedly attacked the car owner, and there was a brief fight.

The suspect got away in a vehicle described as a grey Infiniti, which had a broken driver鈥檚 side window and tail light, said Cpl. Holly Largy, spokesperson for the Langley RCMP.

The damage to the car may have been caused during the fight, according to a post on social media.

The man who identified himself as the victim posted on Facebook, saying he had given the suspect some 鈥渓umps鈥� before he got away.

Langley Mounties were called to the scene, and Largy said that fortunately the victim鈥檚 injuries were not serious enough to require a trip to the hospital.

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The incident is under investigation, and RCMP are doing a video canvas of the area.

Anyone who has seen the damaged grey or silver Infiniti is asked to call the Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200, or to leave an anonymous tip with CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Largy noted that if anyone sees someone stealing from their vehicle, including a catalytic converter theft, they should call 9-1-1 first and not attempt to stop the thief themselves.

鈥淲e would never recommend somebody to interrupt some kind of theft, especially when they have a tool,鈥� she said.

It鈥檚 far too easy to get hurt in that situation, Largy said.

Catalytic converter thefts have become a common occurrence around the Lower Mainland, as the parts contain valuable metals. It can be a major nuisance for drivers and ICBC, as repairs can cost thousands of dollars.

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