A homeowner awoke to find a group of people allegedly trying to steal the catalytic converter from his car, and he stabbed one of them to death with a kitchen knife during a confrontation.
The incident unfolded at about 2:40 a.m. at a home on the 1100 block of Thienes Avenue in South El Monte, a city east of Los Angeles of about 100,000 people.
Lt. Michael Gomez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said that the homeowner was reportedly awakened by a commotion in his driveway.
The homeowner confronted the three suspects, and an altercation ensued. Police said one of the suspects was stabbed by the homeowner, but the other two fled the scene in an older Honda Accord.
The suspect was found stabbed in the driveway and was pronounced dead by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Police said the deceased suspect was aged between 45 and 50 years old.
Gomez said investigators found a hacksaw and other mechanical tools at the scene. Deputies are canvassing the area in search of security cameras that might have caught footage of the suspects.
KTLA-TV said the LAPD had detained the homeowner for questioning.
State Farm, the largest insurance company in California, said it paid out $62 million in catalytic converter thefts in 2021, and the company expects 2022 to be far worse.
In a similar story from 2021, a man who was allegedly trying to steal a catalytic converter died when the Prius fell on top of him and crushed him to death in Anaheim, California. A bystander found a scissor jack and a power cutting tool laying on the ground next to his body.
Here’s a local news report about the incident:
Would-be catalytic converter thief stabbed to deathwww.youtube.com
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