PALMDALE, Calif. (AP) — A man attempting to steal a catalytic converter from a parked SUV in Southern California was run over and killed when the vehicle’s sleeping driver awakened and started to drive away, authorities said.
The death occurred Tuesday evening in a retail parking lot in Palmdale, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
Arriving deputies found a Ford Excursion partially backed out of a parking stall, a man lying on the ground and a smaller vehicle in the next parking stall.
The department said the Excursion driver was asleep when the smaller vehicle pulled up and one of the four people inside got out and began sawing the catalytic converter off the Ford.
“The victim woke up from the sound, turned the car on, put the vehicle in reverse, and felt a bump like she ran something over,” the department said. “She stopped immediately, leaving the suspect on the ground after running him over.”
The driver then called 911 to get medical help for the suspect.
The suspect was pronounced dead at a hospital. The other three people in the smaller vehicle were detained. No names were released.
Palmdale is in the high desert Antelope Valley north of Los Angeles.
-
Indianapolis Colts place transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones
The tag guarantees the Colts the right of first refusal for Jones, preserving the right to match any competing offer he may get from another team.
AES Indiana hosting series of community open houses this month
AES Indiana invites community members to attend a series of upcoming Community Open Houses this month, with the first being tonight at OrthoIndy Foundation YMCA .
Porch pirate steals $300 in medication from Indy mom's doorstep
Home security video shows a woman ringing the doorbell at Ashley Hogue’s home before walking away with a package containing more than $300 worth of medication
More IPS graduates are attending college, here's the program that's helping
Across all four IPS district-managed high schools, the admissions cycle saw dramatic growth in 2025. The IPS Future Center gives students a place to figure out what comes after graduation.
