Suspected catalytic converter thief crushed to death in Oakland

OAKLAND — The investigation is continuing into the Friday morning death of a suspected catalytic converter thief who was fatally crushed under a vehicle when a car jack he was using apparently malfunctioned, authorities said.

The name of the man, who authorities said was a 35-year-old Vacaville resident, has not yet been released.

The fatality occurred about 3 a.m. Friday in the 400 block of Lagunitas Avenue, a residential area south of Interstate 580 and a few blocks from Lake Merritt.

Police were called to the street by a resident who thought someone might be trying to steal a catalytic converter from a parked Toyota Prius.

When officers arrived they found the 35-year-old crushed under the vehicle. Despite life-saving efforts from police and paramedics, he was pronounced dead there.

Authorities said the preliminary investigation indicates that a car jack the man was using malfunctioned causing the vehicle to slip and crush him. A backpack containing cutting tools was found near him, authorities said.

The converter was still intact, authorities said.

At least two other men have been crushed and killed attempting to steal catalytic converters in the past few years. One such death happened in Berkeley in March 2020 and another in Anaheim in March 2021, according to media accounts.  There has also been violence associated with the thefts, including homicides and non-fatal shootings of vehicle owners by thieves throughout the state.