The Antelope Valley Times

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Man killed trying to steal catalytic converter in Palmdale

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The incident happened in the parking lot of Palmdale shopping center on the 39400 block of 10th Street West. [Image by BRYAN HALL]
PALMDALE – A man suspected of attempting to steal a catalytic converter from an SUV in the parking lot of a Palmdale shopping center was killed when he was run over by the vehicle, authorities said.

The incident was reported around 5:56 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14, in a parking lot on the 39400 block of 10th Street West, according to Lt. Hugo Reynaga.

Deputies from the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station responded to the location regarding multiple calls about a grand theft of a car, and upon their arrival, deputies found the suspect lying in a parking space suffering from blunt trauma wounds, Reynaga said.

During their investigation, deputies learned the victim, who was asleep in the Ford Excursion, heard a sawing noise underneath her vehicle, started the SUV, and put it in reverse before realizing that she had run over the suspect, Reynaga said.

“She heard a thump and then stopped when she realized she had run over something,” Reynaga said

The suspect was taken to a hospital by Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics, where he was pronounced dead. His name has not yet been released pending next of kin notification.

Deputies later located three additional suspects, two women and a man, inside a department store near the scene. They were taken into custody and detained at the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station, Reynaga said.

Reyna said it was unknown if the suspect was run over accidentally.

“It’s too early to tell. It seems like the victim was trying to pull her vehicle out of the way from someone who was trying to steal the undercarriage of her vehicle,” Reynaga said.

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63 comments for "Man killed trying to steal catalytic converter in Palmdale"

  1. The money made by a 42 year-old thief is not being used to pay rent and food bills. In many cases the money is being used to buy stolen items like Rims, Wings, Tinting, and suspension for the $1500 car they drive with $8000 worth of accessories bought on the black market. Risky business to be involved in just to drive an annoyingly loud lowered 2004 350Z with a giant wing.
    Or maybe they were on the way home from Magic Mountain and wanted to recoup their expenses.
    The ladies in the getaway vehicle should feel guilty for allowing this to happen.

  2. I would like to feel sorry for this guy, but I can’t. There’s too much of that going on in this Valley. FYI, for some odd reason, the people getting caught and committing these specific crimes involving catalytic converters are all from El Salvador. I have my sources.

    • You are one racist, any race can commit these crimes and for what to put food on the table for the people that encourage him to do these things? He got his punishment, he doesn’t need the world saying they don’t feel bad for him , he lost his life , not something that can be replaced for a few hundred dollars . . Do you not understand that some criminals are actually good people that get trapped by people who force them to do these things or they might have to suffer or someone in they’re family has to suffer because a price is a price . This wasn’t a price that was taken this was a life that you can’t get back people , it’s different. He wasn’t hurt . He was killed
      .

  3. If your converter is stolen, DRIVE YOUR CAR ANYWAY! For as long as needed and fix it when you can. And this unfortunate happenstance will give you a real chance to see for yourself if police are truly the dedicated public servants we’ve always heard they were. Or are they really just a bunch of PIGS!

    • Since the catalytic converter is before the muffler this would effectively be running straight pipe exhaust which would sound like a day at the track.

      There are ways around this problem, at least until your next smog check comes due, but it is not as easy as ‘just drive it.’

  4. Name released, no city given…. “A smaller vehicle had parked right next to hers contained three other suspects described as two Hispanic women and one Hispanic male sitting inside while the fourth — later identified as 42-year-old Alfredo Ramos — was beneath her car, allegedly attempting to steal the converter.”

  6. After reading this thread, I’m coming to realize that we are casting natural law pearls of wisdom before swine. And one in particular who thinks criminal theft is supportable . “It” just is what it is. . It goes and comes back around to you. . a real thick skull will fool only themselves in this way. “Deserves” has very little to do with it. You enjoy blaming everyone else I think.

  7. When the cops searched his house, they found a bathtub full of ice cubes and a couple swimming pool shaped catalytic converters.

  8. OUR COPS SHOULD SET UP MOUSE TRAP CARS WITH CATALYTIC CONVERTERS DISPLAYED…

    JACK UP THE THE TRAPPER CAR SO IT LOOKS EASY TO RIP OFF…

    WAIT UNTIL THE SAW STARTS AND BINGO…

    DOWN COMES THE CAR WITH THE WHEELS LOOSENED AND DEFLATED SO THEY FALL FLAT…

    AND THE HEAVY CAR COMES DOWN TO SQUISH THE CROOK LIKE A VILE BUG…

    ***

    LIKE THE BAIT CARS THAT LOCK THE CAR THIEF INSIDE UNTIL THE COPS COME…

    BUT WITH A TWIST…

    ***

    THEN RE-SET THE TRAP…

    ***

    • Thats exactly what this was!! This was a TRAP car… now who set it up is unknown could have been the cops, could have been an upset past victim, but either way this was a TRAP!! Since the police are unable to obtain the individual and keep him in custody why not just get rid of him, let’s set a trap and get them when they come. It could be anything either way This was no accident. This was pland out…. all the people happy for his death can you get off your electronics and help out his family? His kids are suffering and they see the heartless shit thats being put out there. Since him being dead is pleasing to you, please be the role models his kids need. He was a good guy with a lost soul… my he rest in peace.

  9. I am in the automotive industry and cat theft is HUGE! We sell so many of them it’s crazy. The wait line and time to get one is long as the manufacturers can’t keep up with the demand. Imagine making car payments for a car you cant drive. So, one less person that is doing these thefts is great. INSTANT KARMA. Sorry, not sorry. :)

  10. Glad to see that at least one of these criminals got what he deserved! (If you think this was his very first criminal act, I have a lovely bridge to sell you!)

  11. Glad he’s gone. There is way too much empathy for these criminals. These “minor” property theft crimes also lead to the deaths of their victims, not just the stupid thieves. That woman in Oakland whose purse was being stolen got dragged to her death by the thieves. However, I’m sure some of the progressives in this thread won’t be decrying that, instead they focus on the hoodlums and their “mild” behavior. We’ll see a reaction to all this soon enough.

    • Another fear vampire. What is it about pointless fears that gets you off? Yeah, a California resident, one in 38 million, had a bad outcome. Do you think that justifies 38 million people cowering in their homes to avoid “being dragged to death”? How would that benefit you?

      I have zero respect for the home alarm sellers that exaggerate endlessly about how without their alarm your house will be emptied of possessions every time you go out, but at least I can see what they are getting out of it. You, not so much.

    • The truck and converter family deserves all our compassion.
      After all, it is so much more valuable than people. Just look how much people spend on them, rather than their fellow man.

    • There are half a million cars in the AV, approximately. Approximately half a million of them did not have their catalytic converter stolen last night. Approximately half a million of them never will.

      Does it happen? Sure.

      People also get struck by lightning. Do you fret about that?

      • California has recently drafted and/or enacted four (4) pieces legislation aimed specifically at thwarting the theft of catalytic converters because it is a literal epidemic crime which you deny.
        AB1653
        SB1087
        AB1740
        SB986 (pending)
        Once again Tim Scott is caught lying through his teeth to everyone with his “nothing to see here” approach on crime. But what else could be expected from a convicted felon right?

        • Legislation is a fine thing…major car parts should have been stamped with the VIN right from the gate.

          You clowns trying to stir up pointless fears over stuff that is very unlikely to happen to any given individual for your own sick satisfaction are not a fine thing. What’s in it for you Mike? Are you some sort of fear vampire? You get off on people cowering away from nothing?

          The same way you cower when you think about me knowing who you are?

          • You double down on your nonsense instead of debating me with articulable facts. You lose.
            There are many people who know me or know of me, but I don’t concern myself with them. I have an unsullied record, so I have nothing, or nobody to fear. Which is more than we can say about you Time-Served-Tim. You’re merely an amusement to me; one I think of during a particularly satisfying bowel movement. You’re merely the excrement of society who has already imposed their will upon you once.

          • LOL…sure Mike. Tell yourself what makes you feel brave. But we all know that your promises to “shut my pie hole for me” dried up when you had the chance to deliver on them, so I’m pretty sure that late at night you don’t think of me…but you still know you are a coward.

        • It is am epidemic for sure.
          Red State goons, confederates in blue California, arrange with their traitor sympathizers living in the hills to have their cats stolen, get the criminal report, and then ‘buy’ their own cats back from their criminal partners.
          As you might guess, these organized criminals will never get caught, and exposing the criminal enterprise/foible is near impossible,.
          It the perfect crime, where the casualty loss is written off against any taxes owed, all for the cost of having their sick f#*k, pollution loving, California hating friends saw off the cats and then weld them back on, which is $0.00.
          Since cats can get darned expensive, this can be a pretty substantial write off, and these red state sympathizers opportunistically use the crimes they commit to make California look bad.

          • Seriously, you need an intervention with counseling, medications, and maybe involuntary committal with electric shock treatments. Good luck.

      • have you had your cat stolen off your vehicle yet? don’t worry your time is coming. when that happens let me know what the officer says to you while taking your report three or four days after the incident! let me know how much help they provided you in looking at surveillance cameras in the area! let me know if they assigned a detective to get fingerprints off your vehicle mostly greasy ones and beautiful! let me know if you were out of pocket $500 deductible or $1,000 deductible from your insurance comprehensive! let me know how much out of pocket you paid to have your catalytic converter which has to be California compliance cost for your vehicle 1500 2000 $3,000? let me know if you were pissed off! let me know if you ever found anybody that can compensate you for the cost of replacing that catalytic converter!!! I just had it happen to me on my beautiful car and none of this that I mentioned above is fake it is all as real as a heart attack they have recovered hundreds of catalytic converters that were stolen in this area in the last year alone and not a single victim has been compensated how’s that for a lightning strike!!!? and by the way I do fret because I was also struck by lightning once and survived and let me tell you it’s very painful!!!

  16. Wait until you have all your catalytic converters stolen out of you brand new Toyota tundra while your sleeping in the Holiday Inn Express, while on vacation …Only 5 month wait to get them replaced…no big deal,,Maybe person stealing her converter was same person stealing mine ?

    • I thought staying at a Holiday Inn was the smart thing to do?

      You realize their argument they they are: “not be responsible for parking lot theft” is a disclaimer used to deter lawsuits but does not relieve them entirely from liability. Make a claim (next time) with the hotel’s insurance company and follow through with a small claims suit. You can find out the name of their insurance company through corporate. If they do not cooperate simply file a claim with corporate.
      Be sure to include any expenses incurred including lost time at work along with the physical damages to the vehicle.
      You may be surprised at the outcome.

  17. JUST TOO BAD THE three additional suspects WEREN’T ALSO RUN OVER WHILE HELPING OUT UNDER THE CAR…

    ***

    FIXING THE LOSS COSTS A COUPLE OF GRAND…

    REALLY MESSES UP THE BUDGET…

    ***

    EATING RAMIN AND HOT DAWGS EVERY NIGHT FROM NOW ON UNTIL THEY CAN AFFORD TO FIX IT…

    ***

    BYE-BYE DEAD SCUM AND GOOD RIDDANCE…

    I HOPE IT HURT…

    ***

    AND SCREW ALL OF HIS FRIENDS TOO…

    ***

      • So she doesn’t have a place to live to do that? Why would anyone want to see a transient sleeping in the car? Palmdale east/west is getting worse and worse….dems like you are ruining this state…..

        • Actually people can have a house and still fall asleep in their cars hmmmmmm. You should come from under your rock more often.

        • Some people work or go to school without being able to go home in-between and take a quick nap. Some people travel far distances and want a break. Why are you so negative and judgemental? Of all the things occuring in the world, THIS is what you fret about? Wow

    • Jennifer. Sorry but he did. Play stupid games and win stupid prizes. You are going to hurt other peoples lively hoods don’t be surprised if you pay the price.

      • Luther if your threshold for ‘deserves to die’ is as low as stealing a part off of a car you are going to depopulate the planet and most likely won’t be around to see it.

        • Nobody killed the man, so your argument is mute. His actions, his choices, got him killed. Nobody in their right mind likes to be victimized by crime. It’s far too human for people to feel angry about crime and victimization, is it not? Who cares if people say he deserves what he got!

          • My argument was indeed mute, as this website has no sound capability. But what does that have to do with the article at hand?

      • …said by one who has an entire room dedicated to Stupid Trophies won over the years, an unchallenged authority in stupid games and the prizes won

  22. Oh I’m sorry!!! Yes it is a crime!!! It happened to us and it took well over a month to fine a replacement and a mark on my insurance!!! I was the victim but yet I had to pay out of pocket!! Why won’t these low lives just get a JOB!!

      • Be careful people. “La cara de humanidad “The face of humanity” is not a material possession. Don’t ever confuse the two. One is tangible, the other is intangible and spiritual. This is a tragedy.

        • Yeah, the tragedy is that Biden floods the country with illegal alien criminals and bleeding heart nimrod a$$wipes like you elected him.

          That’s if you can vote and are not a criminal wetback yourself.

          • If these thieves had a job than maybe this wouldn’t happen . He paid the price should of been at work he would still be alive.