Two suspects have been arrested in the shooting death of an Inglewood man who apparently interrupted them while they were trying to steal a catalytic converter from a parked car.
Inglewood Police Department homicide detectives arrested Wilver Alberto Rabanales, 40, and Jose Christian Saravia Sanchez late Thursday evening after executing a search warrant at a motel in the city of Cudahy, according to a police department press release. Saravia Sanchez’s age was not disclosed.
The shooting occurred at 3:22 a.m Feb. 25 on the 1000 block of North Chester Avenue, near East 65th Street, about a block north of Vincent Park, according to the Inglewood Police Department.
The victim was shot in the chest and later died from his injuries, police said.
Relatives identified him as Juan “Johnny” Sanchez, a husband and father of two who had recently become a grandfather.
“Johnny’s greatest joy in life was his family,” according to a GoFundMe page established to assist his family. “He leaves behind his beloved wife, two wonderful children and his precious grandchild, who he adored with all his heart. He was the kind of person who always put others before himself, offering a helping hand, a listening ear, or a smile that could brighten even the darkest days. His strength, wisdom and generosity were the foundation of his family, and his loss leaves a void that can never be filled.”
Relatives told reporters Sanchez was shot while heading to work at an environmental services company.
Video footage obtained from the scene shows the suspects’ vehicle driving away south on North Chester Avenue, then east on 65th Street.
Rabanales was booked into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Intake and Release Center and remained on $2 million bail, according to the sheriff’s online inmate locator. Information about Saravia Sanchez was not immediately available.
