Man wounded after interrupting thieves from stealing catalytic converter of his vehicle

Long Beach, California – Long Beach police said a man who was sleeping in his vehicle ended up being shot in an attempt to prevent thieves from stealing the catalytic converter.

Authorities were summoned to a local hospital at 4:49 Tuesday after hospital officials reported a man had arrived with wounds to his upper body. Upon arrival, police found that the man was shot in the 5400 block of East Ocean Boulevard in the Belmont Shore area.

Two men were sleeping in their vehicle when they were awakened by the sound of sawing coming from underneath the vehicle, according to Long Beach Police Department spokesman Allison Gallagher.

Gallagher stated that when one of the guys who had been sleeping in the car came out, he saw a group of individuals attempting to take the catalytic converter from underneath the vehicle.

One of the suspects attempting to take the catalytic convertor shot the victim in the upper body as he attempted to confront them, Gallagher said. The suspects then escaped in a dark-colored vehicle, Gallagher said.

Police and gang detectives were sent to the scene of the shooting, and they are now conducting an investigation into the incident.

The wounds of the man were determined to be non-life-threatening and he is expected to recover.