A North Carolina man trying to steal a catalytic converter from a disabled car was killed when the jack he used to get under the vehicle failed and pinned him underneath, a sheriff's office said.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on Wednesday that deputies responding to a call on Monday morning found the body of a man under a car. The body was discovered by a tow truck driver who had been dispatched to that location to tow the disabled Toyota Camry, the sheriff's office said.
The victim was identified as Joshua Larry Diehl, 50. Investigators said Diehl was trying to steal the catalytic converter when the jack he used failed. It's not known how long Diehl was under the car before his body was discovered.
The sheriff's office said the owner of the car was coming home from work when she discovered she had a flat tire and no way to replace it. She called a friend to pick her up and was arranging to have the car towed the next morning. Investigators believe that once the car’s owner was picked up, Diehl discovered the disabled vehicle and began trying to steal the converter.
