Two men have been arrested in relation to the death of a man who received a deadly shot while trying to stop a robbery of catalytic converter in Inglewood, authorities said.
Homicide detectives with the Inglewood Police Department arrested Wilver Alberto Rabanales, 40, and José Christian Saravia Sánchez on Thursday night after executing a search warrant in a motel on Cudahy, the authorities said. Sánchez's age has not been launched.
Both suspects were reserved in the Inglewood prison, police said. Rabanales is being held with a bail of $ 2 million and will be presented in the Court on Monday, according to the inmate of the department of the Los Angeles County Sheriff. The bail and appearance information for Sanchez could not be established immediately on Friday night.
Juan “Johnny” Sánchez, 48, was shot in the 1000 block of North Chester Avenue in Inglewood around 3:22 am on February 25. He was trying to prevent two men from stealing a neighbor's catalytic converter when one of them shot him in the chest, police said.
Police launched a search for the suspects, which were captured in a surveillance chamber that flees in a golden Toyota Camry with dyed windows and a sunroof. Later, the department said the community provided important help to identify the two suspects.
Juan Sánchez's family described him as “a devout husband, a loving father, a proud grandfather and an appreciated friend of so many” in a Gofundme campaign, who had raised more than $ 44,500 as of Friday.
“It was the type of person who always put others before him, offering a friendly hand, a listened ear or a smile that could make even the darkest days,” says the post. “His strength, wisdom and generosity were the basis of his family, and his loss leaves a void that can never be filled.”
The theft of the catalytic converter is a growing problem in southern California, since thieves point to emission control devices for high value metals such as platinum, paladium and rhodium.
Thefts can be difficult to frustrate, since it only takes minutes to steal the devices, which makes it difficult for the police to catch people on the spot. And, once taken, the devices are almost impossible to track a specific car.
To combat the problem, police departments have begun to organize free events in which drivers can obtain unique identification numbers recorded in their converters. In 2023, the Council of the City of Los Angeles voted to have illegal to have a catalytic converter not united without property proof.
During the first half of 2024, 2,113 catalytic converters were stolen in Los Angeles, according to data that the Los Angeles Police Department published last year. The figure does not include Inglewood or not incorporated parts of the Los Angeles County.
In a notorious incident, the “General Hospital” Johnny Wactor actor was a deadly shot in the center of Los Angeles last May when he approached several men who tried to eliminate a catalytic converter from his car, police said. Three months later, prosecutors accused four men in relation to crime.
