Woman kills apparent catalytic converter thief by backing her SUV over the man in Palmdale

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Man killed while allegedly stealing catalytic converter

A man was run over while allegedly trying to steal a catalytic converter. The driver of the car said she was woken up by the sound of the saw then backed the car up, killing the man.

A man accused of trying to steal a catalytic converter in Palmdale was killed Tuesday when he was run over by the woman whose vehicle he was trying to steal from, according to authorities.

It happened just before 6 p.m. in a store parking lot located on the 39000 block of 10th Street West.

Officials said the woman was asleep inside her Ford Excursion when a car with four people inside pulled up next to it. That's when one of the grand theft suspects got out of the car and began sawing off the catalytic converter off the Excursion, Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies said.

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Alleged catalytic converter theft killed in Palmdale

Authorities are also looking for three accomplices.

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The woman inside the Excursion was woken up by the noise, and that's when she turned on her car, put it in reverse, and "felt a bump like she ran something over," authorities said. 

The woman immediately stopped the car after running the alleged thief over and called 911. He was taken to a local hospital where he died.

The three others inside the car with the alleged thief were detained by sheriff's deputies.