A Pasadena man has been in the hospital for nearly a month after he suffered a brain injury and several broken bones when a group of catalytic converter thieves ran him over.
Michael “Mikey” Moreno spotted thieves tampering with his work truck the early morning of Feb. 12 outside his home, according to his loved ones. Security footage recorded that day showed a dark-colored vehicle in the neighborhood at around 4:20 a.m.
After confronting the group, the thieves struck Moreno with their getaway car and took off, leaving the victim to fend for himself.
“He was sitting on the road for about 20 minutes until a neighbor who was going to the airport saw him there and helped him out,” said Nick Narevsky, a family friend.
According to Narevsky, Moreno’s health declined dramatically after being struck by the vehicle.
“You have to feed him; he’s still not sure where he is,” Narevsky said. “Again, he’s just going to have a major recovery. He’s going to have to learn to walk again, talk again, write again. He’s basically a baby starting over.”
While Moreno is tended to by his doctors at Huntington Hospital, his loved ones are hoping someone with information on the case can help lead them to justice.
“This is why we’re hoping the community rallies around Mikey because this is a guy who would give you the shirt off his back,” Narevsky said.
Law enforcement has not provided a detailed description of the vehicle involved in the case.