A Staunton car dealership is offering a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest for stealing car parts.

Last week, Staunton Hyundai had catalytic converters stolen from the cars on their lot, and it's not the first time that's happened.

Dealership manager Patrick Janes says he thought being hit by catalytic converter thieves last month was bad luck but then 17 were stolen again last week.

"It's the second time we've been hit. The first time, we realized it when we were pulling the car into the shop and when a catalytic converter is off a vehicle it's very obvious. It's like having no muffler system," says Janes.

The converters are part of the emissions system that helps reduce pollution from the exhaust. They cost the dealership almost $800 but the precious metals inside the devices, such as platinum, can sell for as much as $2000 an ounce.

So Janes is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

"We think Hyundai as a manufacturer is being targeted some way, some how, because we've been the ones that have been hit in a reasonable short period of time. So we know we have to do something a little more than other car dealers have to do for this," says Janes.

Other dealerships have also been hit. Augusta County Sheriff Randy Fisher says more than 100 converters have been stolen in the area. He says the groups are organized and the Valley is susceptible.

"You jump off 81, find a car lot, drop someone off, they'll jump under a car steal 17, 18 converters, come back pick them up in a truck and they're gone," says Fisher.

Staunton Hyundai says they're installing security cameras to deal with the problem.