Video from the AV NEWS CREW provided to Fox News Digital shows California authorities responding to a February 11 catalytic converter theft incident that resulted in a homicide after the victim ran over the suspect.
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said a woman who was sleeping in her Ford 4×4 Excursion in a Target parking lot in Palmdale and woke up to the sound of someone cutting into her catalytic converter.
The woman then started her vehicle and put it in reverse, at which point she felt a “bump” and immediately brought her vehicle to a stop, locked the doors and called 911 for help, LASD told Fox NEWS Digital.
A smaller vehicle that had parked right next to his contained three other suspects described as two Hispanic women and a Hispanic man sitting inside, while the fourth, later identified as 42-year-old Alfredo Ramos, was under his car, supposedly trying to steal the converter. .
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Victim’s vehicle in Palmdale, California, catalytic converter theft incident. (AV NEWS TEAM)
The woman had not fully pulled out of her parking spot when she pulled over and called police, according to the sheriff’s department.
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Two of the other three suspects in the vehicle next to hers rushed to a Best Buy near the Target parking lot and called 911 from there.
An LASD officer detains a woman at the scene of a catalytic converter theft-turned-homicide incident on February 11 in Palmdale, California. (AV NEWS TEAM)
Authorities arrived at the scene around 8:00 pm, apprehended the three remaining suspects in the smaller vehicle, and transported Ramos to Antelope Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
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Investigators also spoke with the victim, who did not know the four suspects, at the scene to obtain her version of events.
The catalytic converter theft incident occurred outside a Target in Palmdale, California on Tuesday. (Google Maps)
LASD plans to file the case as justifiable homicide with the district attorney’s office and suggests official charges of conspiracy to commit grand theft auto against the three surviving suspects.
No charges have been filed against the victim at this time. According to the sheriff’s office, the prosecutor’s office will ultimately determine the charges, if any, against all parties involved.
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Catalytic converter thefts are on the rise in the United States. The street value of a catalytic converter containing precious metals ranges from $200 to $1,000, according to the sheriff’s department.
Authorities recommend adding identifiable etchings or stickers to catalytic converters to help catch suspects and prevent converter theft.
