A man accused of attempting to steal a catalytic converter was fatally stabbed by a homeowner in Los Angeles County early Friday morning, according to a report from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD).
The LASD said that at approximately 2:37 a.m. local time, three suspects were found attempting to steal parts of a vehicle parked in the driveway at a residence in South El Monte, a city about 13 miles east of Los Angeles, California.
According to LASD Lieutenant Michael Gomez, who spoke with NBC News affiliate KNBC, a resident of the house said he heard the suspects in his driveway while he was sleeping and came outside to confront them. Gomez told the outlet that it “sounded like” they were attempting to steal the resident’s catalytic converter.
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The LASD said that the stabbing took place after the resident of the home confronted the suspects. The decedent, a 45- to 50-year-old male, was found suffering from a stab wound to his upper torso and was pronounced dead at the scene by the responding deputies.
Gomez told KNBC that the responding deputies found tools, such as a hacksaw, in the driveway of the residence, which suggests that the suspects were attempting to steal the vehicle’s catalytic converter.
LASD said that the resident has been detained for further questioning. The sheriff’s department added that the remaining two suspects were last seen entering a small compact vehicle and are still at large.
A spokesperson with the LASD told Newsweek that the department was unable to confirm some of the details provided by Gomez that were not included in the official update from the department. According to the spokesperson, Gomez was one of the deputies who responded to the scene and spoke with local media outlets directly. Newsweek left Gomez a voicemail attempting to confirm the some of the details.
Catalytic converter thefts have been on the rise across the United States in recent years. Data collected from the company CARFAX found that as many as 153,000 converters were stolen in 2022, a 2 percent increase from the year prior.
The car part, which can cost vehicle owners $2,000 to $3,000 to replace, can be worth $25 to $300 for thieves due to some of the part’s precious metals. Converters stolen from hybrid vehicles can sell for up to $1,400.
In Los Angeles, approximately 8,000 catalytic converters were stolen in 2022, a massive jump from the 927 reported in 2018, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance last week that allows police to arrest anyone who has a catalytic converter in their possession that is unattached from a vehicle. Those in violation of the ordinance can face up to six months of jail time and fines up to $1,000.
According to a report from CBS News, a man accused of trying to steal a catalytic converter in February was run over by a woman inside the vehicle, in Palmdale, California.
Officials said that the woman was asleep inside her parked car when the suspect attempted to steal the part. After being awakened by the sound of sawing underneath her vehicle, the woman turned on the ignition and backed out of the parking space.
The man who was underneath the car was taken to a nearby hospital after being run over, and later pronounced dead.
