Catalytic converter thieves, one of whom appeared to be armed with a handgun, were captured on a Gardena home's security camera as they jacked up a car in the driveway.
On Tuesday, the victim reviewed the video footage from security cameras of her property, which captured the thieves committing the theft, according to the city of Gardena. The victim, an NBC4 employee, said she was asleep during the theft and then later horrified at what she saw in the footage.
"I just couldn’t believe it," said the victim, who wished not to disclose her name out of fear for her safety. "I was like, 'Am I watching a Hollywood movie?' And I thought about the actor who got killed for standing up for himself and I'm thinking, 'Thank god I did not wake up.'"
The victim was referring to 37-year-old Johnny Wactor, who was shot to death when he confronted catalytic converter thieves who targeted his car in downtown Los Angeles.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
"I don’t think we should be living like this," the NBC4 employee said.
The video appeared to show three thieves. One appeared to be jacking up the car as the other two acted as lookouts, according to authorities.
""One of the lookouts was standing guard and holding what appeared to be a semiautomatic handgun, which he pointed toward the victim's home and security cameras," the city said.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
After the converter was removed, all three thieves fled in a dark-colored sedan. The exact location and cost of the converter was unclear, but authorities were investigating the incident along with a string of unrelated converter incidents.
She entered her Toyota Prius and after hearing an unusual noise coming from underneath her vehicle, she discovered that her catalytic converter had been stolen overnight, the city said.
There was not a clear description of the thieves, and no further information was immediately available.
The city urged anyone with information regarding the theft to call Detective Liliana Pinela at 310-217-9654.
