ATLANTA — An Atlanta daycare owned by a husband and wife was targeted by a catalytic converter thief this week, leaving them scrambling to cover the costs to replace the part in their daycare bus.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

“You’re taking out of the mouths of the kids,” said Ms. Niecy’s Learning Center co-founder John Kimbrough. “That’s the most frustrating part.”

It happened Monday morning at around 4 o’clock at the daycare on Old Hapeville Road in Southwest Atlanta, where the nonprofit daycare has been for the past nine years.

Surveillance video shows someone with a saw attached with a light crawl underneath to steal the coveted part that thieves typically then sell for cash.

TRENDING STORIES:

• R. Kelly sentenced to 30 years on racketeering, sex trafficking charges
• “It ripped my heart out:’ Police chief comforts crying child after family member arrested
• Teen killed at DeKalb gas station was wanted for shooting Clayton police officer

“That’s money that we could be using to buy supplies, crayons, paper pens,” said Kimbrough. “Now we have to take that and buy a new catalytic converter.”

Kimbrough says it’s not their only bus but that they can’t afford to be down a single one when school starts again in August.

“Some of our parents don’t have transportation,” he said. “We were able to pick them up from homes, wherever to take them to school, take them back home and the parents depend on us.”

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Atlanta police are investigating after Kimbrough and his wife filed a report. If the thief is caught, he says he’s not opposed to helping him get back on his feet.

“Let’s get the guy some help,” he said. “You know, he can come cut my grass. I’ll pay him. You don’t have to steal from people.”

Kimbrough has started a GoFundMe in hopes of replacing the stolen catalytic converter. If interested, you can donate here.

IN OTHER NEWS:

©2022 Cox Media Group