INGLEWOOD, Calif. () — A suspect arrested in the deadly shooting of an Inglewood man during a catalytic converter theft is facing federal charges for allegedly illegally reentering the country after being deported, prosecutors announced Friday.
Jose Christian Saravia-Sanchez, 30, of El Salvador, was arrested last week in the murder of Juan Sanchez in Inglewood. After the arrest, prosecutors say federal law enforcement discovered the suspect had been deported in 2013 and returned to the U.S. illegally.
In a federal complaint, Saravia-Sanchez is charged with being in the U.S. illegally and illegal possession of a firearm, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Saravia-Sanchez’s criminal history includes a felony conviction in Los Angeles Superior Court in May 2023 for taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent.
On the morning of Feb. 25, Juan Sanchez was shot and killed when he tried to stop two men from stealing a neighbor’s catalytic converter.
Saravia-Sanchez and a second suspect, Wilver Alberto Rabanales, were later taken into custody in connection with the killing.
When the arrest happened, prosecutors say law enforcement found a firearm in the bathroom of a hotel room following a barricade situation that ended in Saravia-Sanchez’s apprehension.
Juan Sanchez was described in a GoFundMe campaign as a “devoted husband, a loving father, a proud grandfather, and a cherished friend to so many.”
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