Police are searching for the people responsible for murdering a man over a catalytic converter in Inglewood. Karma Dickerson reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
A man accused of killing and shooting an Inglewood man who interrupted his attempted theft of a catalytic converter from a parked car has been scheduled to be arraigned.
Saravia Sanchez, 31, is slated to face a judge on March 24 in connection with the fatal shooting of Juan Sanchez. The victim was heading to work early Tuesday when he heard a noise and witnessed the catalytic converter theft at his neighbor's residence, a family representative told NBCLA.
The victim was shot in the upper body around 3:30 a.m. in the 1000 block of North Chester Avenue. He died at a hospital, police said.
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"You guys need to stop, this is all for a piece of metal, a couple hundred dollars. This is extremely devastating," Susana Sanchez, the victim's sister, said last week.
Sanchez was a husband, father and new grandfather, family members said. They also mentioned he had just received a promotion at work and wanted to arrive early that day.
Catalytic converters are popular parts for thieves because they are rich in precious metals including platinum, palladium and rhodium, making them highly valuable when resold. While catalytic converter theft is not uncommon, Inglewood Police Captain Neil Cochran told NBCLA last week that it’s been several years since one turned deadly in the area.
"I don’t know what’s behind that or why people are shooting at people when they’re stealing, but our warning to the public is do not just think oh you’re going to confront them it’s not worth it," said Cochran.
