OAKLAND — The investigation is continuous into the Friday morning dying of a suspected catalytic converter thief who was fatally crushed below a automobile when a automobile jack he was utilizing apparently malfunctioned, authorities stated.
The title of the person, who authorities stated was a 35-year-old Vacaville resident, has not but been launched.
The fatality occurred about 3 a.m. Friday within the 400 block of Lagunitas Avenue, a residential space south of Interstate 580 and some blocks from Lake Merritt.
Police had been known as to the road by a resident who thought somebody may be attempting to steal a catalytic converter from a parked Toyota Prius.
When officers arrived they discovered the 35-year-old crushed below the automobile. Regardless of life-saving efforts from police and paramedics, he was pronounced useless there.
Authorities stated the preliminary investigation signifies that a automobile jack the person was utilizing malfunctioned inflicting the automobile to slide and crush him. A backpack containing reducing instruments was discovered close to him, authorities stated.
The converter was nonetheless intact, authorities stated.
Not less than two different males have been crushed and killed trying to steal catalytic converters previously few years. One such dying occurred in Berkeley in March 2020 and one other in Anaheim in March 2021, in line with media accounts. There has additionally been violence related to the thefts, together with homicides and non-fatal shootings of auto house owners by thieves all through the state.