Inglewood Man turned during the flight of catalytic converter. Suspects arrested

Two men were arrested as part of the death of a man who was shot dead by trying to stop a catalytic converter flight in Inglewood, the authorities said.

Inglewood’s homicide detectives arrested Wilver Alberto Rabanales, 40, and Jose Christian Saravia Sanchez on Thursday evening after executing a search warrant in a motel in Cudahy, authorities announced. Sanchez’s age has not been released.

The two suspects were reserved for Inglewood prison, police said. Rabanales is held on a deposit of $ 2 million and is due to the court on Monday, according to the Department’s Department Department Journal of the Los Angeles County. Information on the deposit and the appearance for Sanchez could not be immediately created on Friday evening.

Juan “Johnny” Sanchez, 48, was shot in Bloc 1000 on Avenue North Chester in Inglewood around 3:22 a.m. on February 25. He was trying to prevent two men from stealing a neighbor’s catalytic converter when one of them pulled him in the chest, the police said.

Police launched a search for suspects, which were captured on a surveillance camera fleeing a Gold Toyota Camry with tinted windows and a sunroof. The ministry later said that the community had provided significant aid to identify the two suspects.

Juan Sanchez’s family described it as “a dedicated husband, a loving father, a proud grandfather and a darling friend so” in a GoFundme campaign, who had collected more than $ 44,500 from Friday.

“It was the kind of person who always put the others before him, offering a helping hand, a ear to listen or a smile that could brighten up even on the darkest days,” said the post. “His strength, his wisdom and his generosity were the foundation of his family, and his loss leaves a void that can never be filled.”

Catalytic converter flight is an increasing problem in southern California, as thieves target emission control devices for high -value metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium.

Flights can be difficult to thwart, because it only takes a few minutes to steal the devices, which makes the police difficult to catch people in the act. And, once taken, the devices are almost impossible to follow towards a specific car.

To combat the problem, the police have started to organize free events where drivers can obtain unique identification numbers engraved in their converters. In 2023, the Los Angeles Municipal Council voted to have an illegal to have a catalytic converter not attached without proof of property.

During the first half of 2024, 2,113 catalytic converters were stolen in Los Angeles, according to data from the Los Angeles police department published last year. The figure does not include Inglewood or parties not formed in the County Society of Los Angeles.

In a notorious incident, the actor of “General Hospital” Johnny Wactor was fatally shot dead in downtown Los Angeles last May when he approached several men trying to remove a catalytic converter from his car, the police said. Three months later, prosecutors accused four men in connection with crime.