ROCKWELL — Two catalytic converters were stolen early Tuesday morning from vehicles parked at the East Rowan YMCA, officials say.

The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office got a call Wednesday morning reporting that a catalytic converter had been stolen from a pickup belonging to Rodney Wayne Bell. The 1992 Nissan pickup truck was parked in a gravel lot beside the YMCA in Rockwell.

Officers went out to investigate and determined that the theft occured between 4:45 and 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Later that day, the sheriff’s office received another call from the YMCA. Staff members said that while they were reviewing security footage, they saw that the same part had been stolen from a YMCA van in their parking lot between 4:15 and 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.

A white man went under the van with a bag and apparently removed the part in about three minutes, the YMCA staff members said. Video footage shows that he took off running when a patrol car, responding to a different call, drove by with its blue lights on.

Officials believe the man then went back to the side gravel parking lot to remove the catalytic converter from Bell’s truck.

The sheriff’s office is still investigating the thefts.