A man who apparently tried to steal a vehicle's catalytic converter was killed when that same vehicle allegedly ran him over in Sacramento, California, early Monday.

Initially, the 4:45 A.M. incident was reported as a collision involving a vehicle and pedestrian in the 8100 block of Timberlake Way on the eastern end of Methodist Hospital of Sacramento, the Sacramento Bee reported.

Arriving officers who found the man in question said he sustained serious injuries, the paper reported. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, the Bee added, citing Sacramento police. Investigators spoke to the vehicle’s driver at the scene of the collision, the paper said.

The deceased man was identified as 28-year-old Jose Adolfo Rangel, the paper said, citing the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office. Police said Monday afternoon that detectives believe the deceased man was tampering with the vehicle in an attempt to steal its catalytic converter, the Bee noted.

A paper said catalytic converters are part of cars' exhaust systems and contain metals highly valuable in the recycling market such as platinum, gold, rhodium, and palladium. The Bee added that those who steal catalytic converters from parked cars typically get underneath vehicles and quickly remove them.

Here's a recent look at catalytic converter thefts at Sacramento's airport:

Catalytic converters not safe fom theft at Sacramento International Airport youtu.be

As catalytic converter thefts rapidly rise around the country, the fatality in Sacramento wasn't the first time a suspected catalytic converter crook was killed or injured during the act:

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