Thieves steal catalytic converter from Gardena driveway

A security camera in Gardena caught the moment a crew of thieves stole a catalytic converter from a driveway in the middle of the night.

The surveillance video shows three suspects pulling up to the driveway. One grabs a jack and walks up to the victim's car while the other two stand back as lookouts. At one point, one of the suspects held up what police described as a semi-automatic handgun, pointing it at the house and security cameras. 

Investigators said that once the suspects stripped the catalytic converter from the Toyota Prius they jumped into a dark-colored sedan and left. Police have not apprehended them.

A neighbor who lives directly across the street said she's still shaken up by what happened. 

"When I saw the video and the men with the guns, I was surprised that happened in my neighborhood," she said. "I hope they catch them because it's not only the catalytic converter, right? It's that the three people were armed with guns. If anybody interrupted, they kill them."

The Gardena crime shares similarities to the crime that led to Actor Johnny Wactor's death on May 25 in Downtown Los Angeles. Witnesses said that Wactor was confronted by three people who had his car raised up with a jack, according to police. They shot him while stealing his car's catalytic converter. He later died at the hospital. 

Investigators said the suspects involved in Wactor's death drove a dark-colored sedan. 

Neighbors in Gardena are doing what they can to feel safe moving forward.

The Gardena Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department did not confirm a connection between the two cases.