WATERBURY, Conn. -- Police said thieves in the Waterbury area have targeted precious metals worth thousands of dollars, and one victim is offering a reward for information leading to an arrest.

Catalytic converters are important car parts. They help clean the air coming out of your car.

They also contain precious metals such as platinum and palladium that are worth about $1,200 per ounce, experts said.

Dana DeCapua said he believes "between $5,000 and $8,000" worth of parts were stolen from his scrap yard. He said he thinks thieves forced their way in through his garage door.

"They must have pried one end open, must have got in, went to the back," he said. "All of my cars were in the back."

They were in these big metal barrels covered with blankets.

Police said the thieves even stole the getaway car. They said they busted a car lock from a van being repaired at a nearby garage, drove down, picked up the parts, and then broke the lock off a gate for their getaway.

In neighboring Watertown, police said the Honda dealership was hit a few weeks before. In that theft, they said 17 catalytic converters worth about $18,000 were taken from Honda SUVs.

DeCapua said he's offering up to $500 for any tip or information that leads to an arrest.

"But they have to go to arrests," he said. "I just can't pay $500 to everybody."