Two men have been arrested in connection with the death of a man who was fatally shot while trying to stop a catalytic converter theft in Inglewood, authorities said.
Homicide detectives with the Inglewood Police Department arrested Wilver Alberto Rabanales, 40, and Jose Christian Saravia Sanchez on Thursday evening after executing a search warrant at a motel in Cudahy, authorities said. Sanchez’s age has not been released.
Both suspects were booked at the Inglewood jail, police said. Rabanales is being held on $2-million bail and is due in court on Monday, according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department inmate log. Bail and appearance information for Sanchez could not be immediately established Friday night.
Juan “Johnny” Sanchez, 48, was shot in the 1000 block of North Chester Avenue in Inglewood around 3:22 a.m. on Feb. 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, who were captured on surveillance camera fleeing in a gold Toyota Camry with tinted windows and a sunroof. The department later said that the community provided important help in identifying the two suspects.
Juan Sanchez’s family described him as “a devoted husband, a loving father, a proud grandfather, and a cherished friend to so many” in a GoFundMe campaign, which had raised more than $44,500 as of Friday.
“He was the kind of person who always put others before himself, offering a helping hand, a listening ear, or a smile that could brighten even the darkest days,” the post states. “His strength, wisdom, and generosity were the foundation of his family, and his loss leaves a void that can never be filled.”
Catalytic converter theft is a growing problem in Southern California, as thieves target the emission-control devices for high-value metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium.
Thefts can be difficult to thwart, as it takes only minutes to steal the devices, making it tough for police to catch people in the act. And, once taken, the devices are nearly impossible to track to a specific car.
To combat the problem, police departments have started hosting free events where drivers can get unique identification numbers etched into their converters. In 2023, the Los Angeles City Council voted to make it illegal to possess an unattached catalytic converter without proof of ownership.
Through the first half of 2024, 2,113 catalytic converters were stolen in Los Angeles, according to data the Los Angeles Police Department released last year. The figure does not include Inglewood or unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County.
In one notorious incident, “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor was fatally shot in downtown Los Angeles last May as he approached 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.
