2 arrested for allegedly killing Inglewood man during catalytic converter theft
Two men were arrested Thursday night for the alleged Feb. 25 shooting death of an Inglewood man who was trying to stop the theft of his neighbor's catalytic converter.
Wilver Alberto Rabanales and Jose Christian Saravia Sanchez were arrested on March 6 at a motel in Cudahy.
Johnny Sanchez, 48, was shot around 3:22 a.m. as he interrupted thieves attempting to steal a catalytic converter. "All he said was 'hey,'" his sister Susana Sanchez said. "No physical confrontation and he was shot in his chest."
Security camera footage showed Sanchez about arm's length away from one of the suspects before a muzzle flash appeared. Sanchez's family said he had received a promotion and woke up early that day to get to work.
Investigators worked with video footage from the scene, which showed suspects fleeing in a gold 2002 - 2006 Toyota Camry. Officers said the Camry had unique characteristics, such as tinted windows, a sunroof and a missing fog light.
"(Johnny) was an extreme Dodger fan. He was a big man of faith, never missed mass on Sunday, he volunteered on Sunday mornings at church," Susana said.
The Sanchez family created a fundraising page to help with the funeral and other expenses.