Inglewood police said Saturday they were searching for two suspects in the shooting death of a man who intervened in an attempted catalytic converter theft last week.
Early Tuesday morning, the victim said the two men tried to stop stealing their neighbor’s catalytic converter in the 1000 block of North Chester Avenue in Inglewood. Police said one of the men fatally shot the victim with the chest.
In a Gofundme post, the family identified the man as 48-year-old Juan Sanchez, describing him as a “devoted husband, loving father” and “a proud grandfather.”
“He was always the kind of person who placed others in front of him, providing a hand of help, ears listening to his ears, or a smile that could brighten up even on the darkest days. His strength, wisdom and generosity are the basis of his family, and his losses leave a blank that can never be satisfied,” Post said.
As of Saturday, more than $36,000 was in the family of SupportSupportSanches, and the fundraiser included his wife, two children and grandchildren.
Inglewood police said the suspect was driving a gold Toyota Camry with tinted windows and sunroof. The model year is thought to be between 2002 and 2006.
Inglewood Police Station Notice.
(Christine Dennis)
Police have released a flyer with surveillance video images and additional information about the suspect.
For many years, Southern California burglars have made catalytic converters the common target because they can be sold for high concentrations of precious metals.
In the most notorious case, “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor was fatally shot in downtown Los Angeles last May, approaching several men trying to remove a catalytic converter from his car, police said. Three months later, prosecutors charged four men in connection with the crime.
In 2023, the Los Angeles City Council voted to make it illegal to own an inappropriate catalytic converter without proof of ownership.
Data released last year by LAPD shows that 2,113 catalytic converters were stolen in Los Angeles until early 2024. The figures do not include Englewood or unconsolidated portions of Los Angeles County.
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