Man dies after being run over during attempted catalytic converter theft in Sacramento
A man died Monday after he was apparently run over by a vehicle he was allegedly tampering with in order to steal its catalytic converter near Methodist Hospital of Sacramento.
The incident was initially reported about 4:45 a.m. as a collision involving a vehicle and pedestrian in the 8100 block of Timberlake Way, just west of Highway 99 on the eastern end of the hospital property. There are several other medical offices in the area, along with the hospital’s parking lot.
Officers arrived and found the man who had sustained serious injuries. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to the Sacramento Police Department.
Jose Adolfo Rangel, 28, was the man who died in the vehicle collision early Monday at 8120 Timberlake Way, according to the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office. His city of residence was not available.
Detectives from the Police Department’s Traffic Unit were called to the scene to investigate the fatal collision. Police said on Monday afternoon that the detectives believe the man who died was tampering with the vehicle to steal its catalytic converter before the collision.
A catalytic converter is part of a vehicle’s exhaust system and contains metals, such as platinum, gold, rhodium and palladium, that have high value in the recycling market. Typically, suspected thieves get underneath parked vehicles to remove and steal the catalytic converter.
Investigators spoke to the vehicle’s driver at the scene of the collision. Police said the investigation remained active, and detectives continued to follow up on the circumstances of the incident.
This story was originally published April 11, 2022 at 4:25 PM.
