Thieves attempting to steal catalytic converter in Los Angeles kill man as he tries to stop them

A group of thieves fatally shot a man in South Los Angeles when he tried to stop them from stealing a catalytic converter from his vehicle Saturday, according to Los Angeles police.

Police received a call at 3:15 a.m. about a shooting near West Pico Boulevard and S. Hope Street and when they arrived they found a 35-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds, police said. Los Angeles Police Department.

Investigators learned the man saw three people trying to remove the catalytic converter and approached them. One of the suspects, all three still at large, pulled out a gun and opened fire on the man.

The victim was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Police said the suspects fled the scene. They remained free several hours later.

No further information was provided by investigators, but residents in the area say the incident is troubling because the area is generally one of the safest in downtown.

“It seems like since the pandemic it's gotten worse. Crime seems to be a little out of control,” said Jim Childress, who has lived in the area for about a decade. 'I'm worried. I worry about the people around me, I worry about myself.”

The South Park neighborhood has been in the news recently due to the infamous “graffiti towers” that have drawn crowds of people and increased law enforcement to the area.