A man, suspected of trying to steal a catalytic converter, was fatally stabbed in South El Monte, according to authorities.
Investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the deceased was found in the driveway of a home at around 2:45 a.m. in the 11200 block of Thienes Avenue, and one of the residents of the house is the one who stabbed the attempted theft suspect.
“While [the resident] was sleeping, he heard several people in the driveway,” Lt. Michael Gomez of the LASD said. “It sounded like [suspects] were trying to steal possibly his catalytic converter, at which point he came out of the house and confronted the suspect.”
Gomez said deputies found mechanical tools, such as a hack saw, that suggest an attempted catalytic theft was underway in the driveway. The dead suspect, described to be a man between 35 and 45 years old, was underneath the vehicle at the time, according to Gomez.
Investigators planned to interview the resident, who was considered a person of interest, who used a kitchen knife to stab the theft suspect.
The LASD investigator added the deceased man was with two to three other accomplices during the attempted theft. They were last scene fleeing the scene, heading eastbound on Thienes Avenue in an older Honda Accord model.
Deputies are canvassing the home and the neighborhood to see if there were any security videos that captured the incident.
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Source: NBC Los Angeles