A homeowner was awoken by a group allegedly trying to steal his catalytic convertor. He stabbed one person to death during an altercation with a kitchen knife.
At about 2:40 in the morning, an incident occurred at a house on 1100 Thienes Ave. in South El Monte. This city is east of Los Angeles and has about 100,000 residents.
Lt. Michael Gomez, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, said that a homeowner had been reportedly woken by commotions in his driveway.
A confrontation ensued between the homeowner and three suspects. The homeowner allegedly stabbed one of the three suspects, while the other two fled in an older Honda Accord.
Los Angeles County Fire Department pronounced the suspect dead after finding him stabbed. The police said that the suspect’s age ranged between 45 and fifty years.
Gomez stated that investigators discovered a hacksaw at the scene, along with other mechanical tools. Deputies are searching the area for security cameras that may have captured footage of the suspects.
KTLA-TV reported that the LAPD detained the homeowner to question him.
State Farm, California’s largest insurer, paid out $62 Million in thefts of catalytic converters in 2021. The company anticipates that 2022 will be even worse.
In 2021, in Anaheim, California, a man allegedly trying to steal a catalytic converter died when a Prius fell over him, crushing him to death. A passerby found a scissor jack and a power-cutting tool next to the body.
Here is a local report on the incident:
