Two illegal migrants have been named as suspects in the brutal murder of a Los Angeles man who was shot and killed outside his home.
In Inglewood, the police arrested Wilver Alberto Rabanales, aged 40, and Jose Christian Saravia Sanchez, aged 30, on Thursday. The arrest was made after a seven-hour standoff with the SWAT team, in connection with the murder of Juan Miguel Sanchez on February 25.
The victim was attempting to stop thieves from stealing his neighbor’s catalytic converter when he was gunned down.
Detectives made the arrest after executing a search warrant for a motel in the city of Cudahy, which is about 15 miles East of Inglewood.
Los Angeles became a Sanctuary City after a council decision in November to safeguard undocumented immigrants from deportation. This move came as a response to increasing concerns about immigration enforcement.
Sanctuary Cities prohibit the use of local resources, including personal or property to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Sanctuary status also prohibit sharing information on undocumented immigrants with federal authorities, but do not shield them from deportation.
Although Los Angeles had been a Sanctuary City since 2017, it was only after President Trump’s election that the City Council formalized this status into local law.
Trump has promised a crackdown on illegal immigration, overseeing a slew of ICE raids across major American cities in the past few months.
Rabanales and Saravia Sanchez were arrested on Thursday for the murder of Juan Miguel Sanchez
Los Angeles has a large immigrant population and was declared a Sanctuary City last November
Juan Miguel Sanchez was killed on February 25 while leaving his home in the morning for work
The raids have focused on migrants with a criminal history, but Rabanales and Saravia Sanchez have evaded deportation.
Rabanales and Saravia Sanchez were not first time offenders, as both undocumented migrants have a long list of arrests.
Rabanales, a migrant from Guatemala, was arrested at least 15 times, facing a slew of charges including grand theft, burglary, and drugs, police sources confirmed to Fox News.
Saravia Sanchez was also arrested multiple times for grand theft, gun charges, drugs, burglary, kidnapping, and possession of meth.
Despite their extensive criminal history, neither Rabanales or Saravia Sanchez were deported from the country.
The tragic killing occurred in the early hours of February 25 when Sanchez was leaving his home for work.
He caught two suspects attempting to steal his neighbor’s catalytic converter and was shot dead when he tried to intervene.
Inglewood Police detectives enlisted the help of the public to identify the suspects, who had been driving a gold 2002-2006 Toyota Camry with tinted windows.
Sanchez pictured on his wedding day to his wife Maribel Vera
Surveillance footage from a Ring camera captured the shocking moments before Sanchez was murdered
The chilling moment was captured on surveillance footage and revealed Sanchez yell ‘hey’ at the suspects before they threatened him with a metal bar.
A Los Angeles County fire truck then sped past the scene and Sanchez desperately tried to get the driver’s attention.
He waved his arms at the firefighters, but the truck didn’t stop. Just seconds after the killer fired off gunshots. It’s unclear which suspect had fired the killing bullet.
Rabanales was booked at the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles on a $2 million bond. His next court date is set for Monday. Bond has not yet been set for Saravia Sanchez, according to booking records.
Dailymail.com has reached out to Inglewood Police and ICE for comment.
