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Dec 20, 2023

Sunnyvale man shot, injured after confronting catalytic converter thieves

A Sunnyvale man was shot and injured early Wednesday morning after he confronted someone in the process of stealing the catalytic converter from his vehicle, according to police. At about 3:30 a.m.

A Sunnyvale man was shot and injured early Wednesday morning after he confronted someone in the process of stealing the catalytic converter from his vehicle, according to police.

At about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety officers responded to a home in the 1500 block of Klamath Drive on a reported shooting, police said. When the officers arrived, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to his leg.

The victim was taken to a local hospital in stable condition.

Preliminary investigation shows four suspects were involved in trying to steal the victim's catalytic converter from a vehicle parked in his driveway. Police said the resulting noise woke the man up.

"He heard sounds and went out to confront them," said Captain Dzanh Le of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety. "They grabbed a gun from an unknown location and fired several rounds. Several struck the vehicle, one struck the victim."

The suspects fled in a dark colored sedan, police said.

Neighbors who spoke with NBC Bay Area said they were shaken.

"Me and my husband, we woke up in the middle of the night. We heard four gunshots and screaming and yelling, and we realized it was very serious and called 911," said one woman who asked not to be identified.

Police say the shooting is a reminder to not confront suspected thieves.

"Don't engage with the suspect," said Le. "Be a good witness, call 911, give a good description to dispatchers and stay out of harm's way."

This is the first time a catalytic converter theft has led to a shooting in Sunnyvale, according to police.

Anyone with information about the incident should contact Sunnyvale DPS Detective N. Kakis at 408-730-7110.