Man shot, killed while trying to stop Inglewood catalytic converter theft
Authorities are searching for two suspects who allegedly shot a man dead during an attempted catalytic converter theft.
According to the Inglewood Police Department, the shooting occurred at about 3:22 a.m. Tuesday on the 1000 block of North Chester Avenue in Inglewood.
Police said the victim was attempting to stop the suspects from stealing the catalytic converter off of a neighbor's car. At least one of the suspects opened fire on the man, shooting him in the chest.
The man later died from his injuries. According to a GoFundMe fundraiser, he was identified as Juan Sanchez, better known to friends and family as Johnny.
The fundraiser, raising money for his funeral, called Sanchez a 'devoted husband, a loving father, a proud grandfather, and a cherished friend to so many.' His family told KTLA's Omar Lewis that he'd recently received a promotion at work after helping out Los Angeles fire victims.
As of Thursday morning, more than $10,000 had been raised of its $30,000 goal.
Meanwhile, authorities remain on the lookout for the suspect. Inglewood PD released images of a gold Toyota Camry sedan that is believed to be the suspect vehicle.
The Camry is believed to be a model from between 2002 and 2006 and has tinted windows, a sunroof and a missing right fog light.
Police released photos of the vehicle alongside an image of one of the suspects. That suspect was described as a heavy-set Hispanic man, around 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-6. The second suspect, who was driving the getaway vehicle, was described only as a man.
Anyone with information regarding the suspects was asked to call Homicide Detective Luis Rodriguez at 310-412-5124.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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