Sandy MaloneSan Antonio, TX – An alleged catalytic converter thief was shot while he was attempting to steal the valuable part off of a pickup truck near Olmos Park in San Antonio early on Monday morning.
The incident occurred just before 7 a.m. on May 1 in the 6100-block of San Pedro Avenue near Recoleta Road on the North Side, just a few blocks from downtown, KCEN reported.
San Antonio police responded to 911 calls for a shooting in progress in the parking lot of a furniture business.
Police said a 48-year-old employee of the furniture business happened to arrive for work and saw the alleged thief stealing a catalytic converter off of a vehicle that was parked in the lot, KCEN reported.
The employee told police he yelled at the suspect and then they had a physical confrontation.
Then both men got back into their truck, KSAT reported.
That was when the alleged thief then tried to run the employee over with a truck, according to police.
Police said the suspect rammed his vehicle into the other man’s truck, KSAT reported.
So, the employee told police he pulled out his weapon and fired several shots at the suspect in self-defense, KCEN reported.
The suspect was shot in the leg and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, KABB reported.
He was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Police have said that alleged catalytic converter thief is a 32-year-old man but have not yet released his identity.
Officials also have not released the identity of the vehicle’s owner who shot him, KABB reported.
Police said they found another catalytic converter in that parking lot of the furniture store that had already been removed from another vehicle after the shooting, KSAT reported.
The owner of the vehicle was interviewed by police and arrested at the scene, KABB reported.
He has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Holly Matkin
