Good Samaritan in California Killed Trying to Stop a Suspected Car Thief

Lydia Casias is struggling with the worst news a parent could receive. Her loving son, 38-year-old Joey Casias, was gunned down as he tried to stop a suspected thief from breaking into a car in Covina, California, last week.

"My granddaughter, when we put her to bed, said, 'please don't tell me that my daddy's not gonna be here for Christmas,'" Lydia said. "And it broke my heart."

Cops say Casias and several other witnesses followed the suspect across the street into a nearby apartment complex. They got into a dispute, and the gunman opened fire and killed Casias. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police released cellphone pictures of the suspect they say shot and killed the father of three, who worked as a UPA driver for 19 years.

According to authorities, it's a terrible loss and uncommon for the city.

"This is an unfortunate reminder that there's a reason why you call 9-1-1 or the police department to go look for these individuals," Sgt. Joshua Turner, from the Covina Police Department, said.

The next day, another UPS driver spotted the suspect after recognizing him from an earlier report and called 911. 

Trevor Thompson reportedly ran into an apartment complex, and cops swarmed it. He allegedly barricaded himself with a gun and fired a shot inside, but no one was hurt. The standoff went on about four hours before he surrendered.

He was arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, and being a felon in possession of a weapon. He could also face additional charges stemming from the standoff. 

This isn’t Thompson’s 1st run-in with the law. According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney, he was previously convicted on several charges in 2013 and 2018, including domestic battery and intimidating a witness.

Thompson is in custody on $3.5 million bail and is expected to appear in court this week.

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